A Slytherin Through Time
by Mikill
Summary: With a sly smile he eyed the time turner. It gleamed like gold, just the way the Malfoys liked it. With this, he could save his son. He went for the door but came to a sudden halt when realization hit him: With the time turner, he could save more than one person. (Draco-centric time travel fanfiction, 3rd year)
1. Chapter 1

(SPOILER Alert: The story begins where Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ends, but you don't have to know it to enjoy this story. It just was a good point to start my story. I don't think the few references to the play spoiler anything if you have not read or seen the play.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Read, enjoy and review :)

Prologue

Draco was rummaging through the attic of Malfoy manor. It had to be here somewhere. He hadn't thought of it before, but it had to be here somewhere. He tossed aside an old teddy bear and dug into a huge pile of old stuff. "Ouch!" he hissed and pulled his right hand back. His index finger was bleeding. It was the needle of an old brooch of his mother. He put it aside and went through the pile again. He was tense. He could feel the knots in his back. Every single one of them. He couldn't remember a time when they weren't present. Or the constant throbbing pain in the back of his head absent.

His hand went over rough leather and something that felt like a hair brush. His fingers kept roaming. "Yes," he whispered. This felt like metal. Round metal. With something smooth in the middle. He closed his fingers around it and pulled it out of the heap. How could he have forgotten about this until now? He remembered having it in one of the glass cases of his family's old Dark artifact collection. For all his father's talk about the good old times and his complaining about the "mudblood minster", he never used it to change anything about the status quo. After the final battle, the Aurors would regularly visit Malfoy manor. Check up on their Dark artifacts and whether any of them had been used. What he was looking for now had been the one artifact that he could not in any way, shape or form explain and it was illegal enough to warrant a stint in Azkaban. So, not willing to part with it completely, he had hidden it where no one would look for such a powerful object, in plain sight. Not quite hidden at all. Right where no one would ever look for such a valuable object. In the middle of plenty of worthless, long forgotten trinkets. He had hidden it there, and forgotten all about it, until this very moment, in which his hands closed around the invaluable object.

With a sly smile he eyed the time turner. It gleamed like gold, just the way the Malfoys like it. With this, he could save his son, Scorpius, who had unfortunately ended up stuck in the past with Albus Potter, one of the sons of Harry Potter. He went for the door but came to a sudden halt when realization hit him:

He could save Astoria too.

Astoria… His face fell at the thought of his beloved wife. A deep sense of loneliness washed over him, the pain and longing catching him off guard.

Then, suddenly, he felt guilty. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier? He could go back a few years and work on a way to counter the curse which had taken from him his one and only true love. Astoria, Scorpius and him could be a real, happy family again. Or he could at least spend some more time with her. Tell her how much he loved her. Just see her beautiful smile one last time.

But he had to save his son first… or did he? If he just traveled back and made sure his son never went back in time? But he would arrive in an already altered timeline, wouldn't he? And that meant his son might not even be born in that new time. His headache grew stronger.

Although extensively studied, there was still much unknown when it came to time travel. There were theories and laws for small scale time travel and theories and laws for bigger jumps back in time. The problem was: it was seemingly impossible to combine the different theories. There was not one that would explain everything and the theories already in existence contradicted each other in a way that not more than one could be true at the same time.

He could not risk it. Save his son first and then Astoria.

Determined and with more hope than he had had in years, he left the attic in search of one Harry Potter.

ooOOoo

"Scorpius," Draco held his son tight.

"Dad," his son mumbled into his chest. They hugged each other. It was finally over and he had his son back. Back in the right time and place. The original timeline restored.

"I love you, son," Draco eventually whispered. He did not show affection like that often but he had just realized that that had been a mistake. His son deserved to hear it as often as he could.

They were in the Auror office at the ministry. The Aurors were dealing with Delphi, his, he shuddered, cousin. Did that mean, he was actually, in some way, related to the Dark Lord? He did not want to think about it.

The rest - Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione and so on - were talking on the other side of the room. They had their own family reunions to celebrate.

His son left his embrace and walked over to the others. This gave Draco the time he needed to do what he felt had to be done. For his son. For his wife. For his family.

He felt bad for leaving his son behind. But he reminded himself, that he wasn't. His son would never know he was gone. He would grow up with his mother by his side and he would never even get into this whole time turner mess.

He grabbed the time turner, which was on the desk, unattended. He slipped out of the room unnoticed and left the ministry. Then he apparated straight back to Malfoy manor and went up to the attic again.

Before he could change his mind, he started spinning the time turner.

 **TBC**

AN: Let me know what you think. Even if you're reading this when more than 70 more chapters have already been written, I would still appreciate any and all feedback. Even if you stop reading after a couple of chapters, let me know why.

I think time travel (at least in this story) is a bit like physics. There are rules for the big things (Einstein and his theory on relativity) and theories about really small things (quantum physics), but there is not one single theory that would explain everything (theory of everything). Although I do have my own theories which I use as a basis for this story so it is in itself coherent, but Draco isn't likely to figure that one out anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews, everyone.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

The lights flickered, the walls moved a little, and Draco felt dizzy. When the lights stopped flickering and his head stopped spinning, he noticed… that nothing had changed. He was still in the attic of Malfoy manor. Maybe the time turner had broken during the rescue mission? Then all hope was lost for his wife. He sank to his knees.

Suddenly, he heard steps, and drew his wand immediately. He looked up as the door to the attic opened and he looked into the eyes of… himself. Or rather, a way younger version of himself. They stared at each other in surprised awe. Draco opened his mouth to say something – what, he wasn't sure – but noticed that the younger Draco did not move. It appeared as if he was frozen in time. Slowly, his expression unchanged, he started to fall apart. It seemed like he turned into dust. A million Draco particles flying around, swirling through the air. Draco was mesmerized by the sight. Horrified and mesmerized. If Draco had been able to turn his gaze away he would have noticed that the same was happening to him. The bits and pieces flew around the room, they circled each other until they finally settled on a form. Out of the two Dracos there was now only one left. Draco, older Draco, looked down at his hands. They were positively tiny. Devoid of any scars that he had gathered over the years. And, most importantly: no Dark Mark.

He stared at his arms for a while, struggling to comprehend.

He took a closer look at everything else in the room… there was way less stuff than just mere moments ago.

So, apparently, it had worked. But _when_ exactly was he?

His question was somewhat answered when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Draco?" It sounded like his mother. "Draco, darling, where are you?"

His mother sounded so… young. And carefree. It did not sound as tired as it had the last time he had heard her.

"I am here, mother," he walked towards the door and hid the time turner in his pocket. He felt surprisingly numb. He probably should have freaked out by that point, but his mind refused to accept what his eyes told him was true.

"What were you doing up there? Never mind, hurry up, we are leaving in 10 minutes."

10 minutes? Leaving?

He ran downstairs, where he saw his trunk and Quidditch equipment. He was going back to school, so apparently it was September. He was sure this was not his first year. He hadn't been allowed to take any Quidditch equipment with him for his first year at Hogwarts. He hadn't found the scar from his encounter with Buckbeak, the hippogriff, while examining his arm earlier. Second or third year then.

His parents walked towards him. The smiles on their faces made something stir in Draco's stomach. They looked quite happy. Happier than he remembered them. The war had driven a wedge between them which they had never been able to mend completely.

Together, they made their way to King's Cross and platform 9 ¾. Once he saw the scarlet steam engine puffing smoke over the witches and wizards walking around the platform, he finally relaxed somewhat. He glanced over the platform and saw a gathering of red heads. The Weasleys. And in their middle – Albus Potter. No - wait. That couldn't be right. His father, Harry Potter, who he had just seen about half an hour ago, but at the same time it felt like years had passed between their last encounter.

He saw one of the older Weasleys walking towards a girl with long, curly hair. He was sporting a shiny badge on his chest. He saw Ginny and Harry snicker, and then Harry's eyes met his and the latter's face fell immediately. Draco frowned. He knew with time this would probably change again, but right now he couldn't bring himself to dislike any of the Gryffindors. They were still children. And which grown up hated children?

They were so innocent and young, not aware of the horrible years that lay ahead of them, that some of them would not survive. Instead of the jealousy and disgust he usually felt when he saw them or rather when his younger self had seen them, he felt a little melancholic.

With an uneasy feeling, he turned around and wrapped his arms around his parents. It was unusual for him, but he had learned the hard way how important family was and he would not waste a minute of his precious time with the people he loved. "I love you," he mumbled.

His father looked surprised while his mother smiled. "We love you too, Draco. Have a good year and don't forget to write me a letter every once in a while."

He smiled and they said their goodbyes.

Turning away from them, he took in the bustling atmosphere of the train station. There was Neville - the man who refused the Dark Lord, who slayed Nagini, who taught his son Herbology - small and chubby, saying goodbye to his grandmother. Somewhere further away was Daphne, young, innocent and smiling, chatting excitedly with Pansy and Millicent. Crabbe and Goyle - young, not yet bitter... alive - arrived at the platform with their parents.

Crabbe and Goyle were looking his way, but Draco began to feel dizzy, the world began to turn, and he quickly hurried away, towards the train.

On his way to the train he almost ran into a little girl struggling with her huge trunk.

"Astoria," he breathed, the world still turning and blurring, but her he could see with a surprising clarity. For a while, he just stared at her, overcome by emotions. She was alive. Astoria was alive!

Finally, he overcame his inability to speak and move, and offered his help with her trunk. She was so beautiful and he had missed her smile, her smell, her voice,… so much. He wanted to hug her and hold her close but he didn't want to scare her. He felt bad for being in love with an 11-year-old.

He could barely separate from her but he knew he had to. There was so much he wanted to say, but couldn't.

He hurried onto the train and sat down in an empty compartment. His parents, Astoria, all the people at the platform,… it was just too much for him. The gravity of it all felt heavy on his chest and it threatened to suffocate him.

He sat there in silence, breathing heavily and trying to sort his thoughts. He was back. He had actually traveled back through time and was apparently in the body of his younger self. This was enormous. Unheard of. The implications were... Draco was struggling to wrap his head around the pure magnitude of it all.

He could save Astoria and be a better husband and father. But he also just realized, that it would be years before he would have with Astoria what he had had the first time around. And even longer before he would see his son again. He heard his pulse throb in his ears and sweat ran down his forehead. Now that he had some alone time the incredible sense of loss hit him full force.

Suddenly, the door to his compartment swung open and a small, blond girl stood in the frame. She was wearing a necklace made out of a stopper, radish earrings and had her wand tucked behind her ear.

Draco nearly jumped out of his seat, drawing his wand out of instinct.

"You look upset," she said, seemingly unbothered by his defensive stance. "Are you alright?"

He looked at her, blinking a few times, lowering his wand again. "I've been having a rough couple of days," he finally admitted, his voice hoarse. "Years, really." He probably shouldn't talk to her, but voicing his concerns already made him feel a bit better, and his breathing eased somewhat. And she was at least somewhat neutral, in her first year, at least.

Luna looked at him. "I am sorry to hear that."

Draco smiled at her weakly. The situation was beyond surreal. Here he had just done the impossible, traveled back in time, had to consider questions of life and death... and an 11-year-old girl who his parents had held captive in their basement for... more days - weeks - months - than any child should ever be held captive, offered comfort. "I just don't know what do do now. I made many mistakes and disappointed so many people."

The girl seemed to give this some thought. "Do you feel sorry for what you did?"

Draco looked out of the window, unable to look into her innocent face, and slowly nodded his head. "Feeling sorry" did not even begin to cover the gut-wrenching guilt he felt when he thought about his past. He could not even look at Luna without feeling horrible. His parents had held a child captive. A child! And he had fully supported it.

"That's the most important thing, I think," she said. "If you do the right thing from now on and you feel truly sorry for what you have done..."

That sounded a lot like advice Astoria would have given him, but it did not solve his problem. "I don't know what the right thing is," he admitted. He never did. When he had been younger he thought supporting his parents was the right thing, and clearly he had been wrong. But now? Did staying in the past mean he abandoned his son? Or did his son not exist anymore and he had killed him? Or would he abandon him by not doing anything in his might to make things right and save the boy's mother?

"You have made mistakes, everyone does. Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, it doesn't mean they're lost forever. You stumbled. Maybe a wrackspurt floated through your head for a while... But you seem to have found your way again. You have learned from your mistakes and you regret them. I don't think it really matters what you do from now on, as long as you do it with good intentions and don't repeat the mistakes of your past," Luna said with conviction.

Draco gave this some thought. Maybe Luna was right. Maybe there was no right decision in this. Maybe the important part was that whatever decision he made, he made it for the right reasons. And Astoria, his wonderful Astoria, was still alive and he had years to figure out a way to break the curse that would eventually take her from him. He had years that he could spend with her. He would be a better husband and father when the time came. He would not make the same mistakes again.

It would be hard for him, to live without his wife and son for a few years, but maybe he deserved this punishment. But he knew this was the best for both of them and for once, he would not be selfish and do the right thing. For Astoria. And for Scorpius. He would make sure that they would live happy, healthy and, most importantly, long lives.

"You are Luna, right?" he asked, his mood suddenly a lot better now that he had made a decision.

"You know me?"

Did he? Had he known her before she joined Potter's gang of misfits? Before his parents had... "Just remember your name from the ceremony. Ravenclaw, right?"

"Yes. And you are Draco Malfoy, Slytherin," she stated more than asked. She appeared absent-minded, as she always did, and was a little unkempt, but she was clearly sharper than Draco had ever given her credit for.

"How do you know?"

"My father sometimes writes articles about your father."

Draco vaguely remembered one about his father being the son of a Veela, among other ridiculous articles.

"Ah," he just said. He wanted to say something nice about her father's paper but couldn't come up with anything even semi nice.

Luna looked down the corridor and decided to leave.

"It was nice talking to you, Draco Malfoy."

"Luna," he called after her. "Thanks."

She smiled and left. A few seconds later, Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini walked into his compartment.

TBC

Let me know what you think :)


	3. Chapter 3

A.N. Thanks for the reviews guys. And thanks Lou for pointing out that Draco was not tagged. I was sure I had tagged him but apparently I didn't.

I have a lot of stuff to do for university, so naturally, I'm writing and reading fanfiction instead^^ I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

English is not my native language (so be nice) and I do not own Harry Potter.

Read, enjoy and review :)

ooOOoo

The ride to Hogwarts was surreal. His compartment consisted of a number of living corpses. Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson were sitting around him. Crabbe had been killed by his own Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement. Goyle he had found lying dead on the floor after the Battle of Hogwarts. Theodore Nott, ironically, had not been dead in his time but was sent to Azkaban after being arrested for the illegal possession of an unregistered time turner. Pansy and Blaise had mostly stayed out of the final battle as far as he could remember. Blaise had left the country and Pansy had died during childbirth.

He thought sitting with them would be weird, but it actually felt good. Talking to them about completely normal teenager stuff. Quidditch, visits to Hogsmeade, Quidditch, how they spent their summers, more Quidditch. He almost forgot that he was not really a teenage Draco, talking to his peers.

He had always just considered them to be acquaintances, not friends. He had been far too focused on being (or rather, appearing to be) superior to everyone around him, to ever really make any friends. Keeping up an impeccable image had kept him from telling those around him how he really felt, so none of the other Slytherins every really knew him. Maybe he should change that. He would need all the help he could get. And it would be nice not to be alone for a change. He had always envied Potter his friends and hated him all the more because he had had something Draco hadn't. Only now was he mature enough to see that it was his own fault.

They were just talking about the Quidditch World Cup when the weather outside grew darker and colder. The rain and the wind were getting louder by the second and the train slowed down.

"Are we there already?" asked Crabbe.

"No," he whispered. No, this wasn't good. Realization of what year this was finally hit him. How could he not have thought of this?

"It's getting really cold," Blaise muttered.

"What's going on?" Pansy whispered worriedly.

Draco looked at her and said only one word. "Dementors."

Abruptly, the train came to a halt, the lights went out and Draco could hear Pansy's surprised squeak.

"Lumos," Draco mumbled. Now he could see the fear on his companions' faces. Draco gulped. They were children and they were scared. Pansy, who was sitting to his right, edged closer to him. He put a reassuring hand on her back. "It's gonna be alright," he whispered.

The door to their compartment slid open and, ironically, from all of them only Crabbe had the presence of mind to grab his wand and try for a defensive spell. But he halted mid-movement, when a dark figure entered the compartment, moving closer to Draco.

The cold was almost unbearable. The screams of a tortured Hermione filled his ears and pictures of a dead muggle studies professor being devoured by a snake flashed in front of his eyes. He saw images of his dying wife, her last, painful, days, his son in danger, the Dark Lord's atrocities,… it did not stop. He felt like it never would.

His head felt like it was splitting in two and he wanted to scream and cry, the first one he actually did. Then he started to hyperventilate before everything went black.

ooOOoo

When he woke up again, he was looking into the eyes of one worried Professor Remus J. Lupin.

"Are you alright, boy?"

Draco was definitely not alright. He looked around. Crabbe and Goyle were very pale and it looked like Pansy had been crying. All of them had worried looks on their faces.

"I'm fine," he finally lied.

Lupin studied him for a while. He probably did not believe him. Draco wouldn't believe himself either. It was weird to see Prof. Lupin worried on his behalf. He had not been one of his favorite pupils during the time he taught at Hogwarts. Not that Draco didn't give him every reason he could to dislike him. Lupin gave all of them some chocolate and left the compartment. The chocolate made him feel better immediately.

"What happened?" Draco asked after a few awkward minutes of silence. His head was spinning and he could barely hold a thought. Travelling back in time and being attacked by a Dementor was a bit much for one day.

The others looked at each other.

"That… thing, it attacked you," Goyle offered.

"You screamed and twitched and then Pansy started screaming. I thought we were all done for but then a dog or something came in here and made that thing disappear," Blaise recounted.

In hindsight, Draco should have known this would happen.

"I felt like I would never be happy again… It was so weird," Goyle added.

"Why did this happen?" Pansy asked, her voice shaking.

"Sirius Black," Draco offered meekly.

The others looked at him.

"You think they are looking for him?" Pansy asked.

"Yes," he mumbled.

"Do you think he really might be here? Are we in danger?" Pansy asked with a shaky voice.

They all looked at each other.

He spent the rest of the ride not talking much. Neither did the others.

This time, no one made fun of Harry Potter. Draco was relieved when he noticed that no one was making fun of him either.

TBC

As always, let me know what you think :)


	4. Chapter 4

AN Thanks y'all for for favoriting, following, reviewing or just reading my story.

I'm terribly sorry for not updating in a while. I've had six exams last week and one this week. I'll also have to write 6 papers over the summer but I'll still try to update regularly.

English is not my native language and I do not own Harry Potter.

Read, enjoy and review ;)

ooOOoo

When they arrived in the Great Hall, Headm- no, _Professor_ McGonagall called Draco, Harry and Hermione to her office.

In her office, Prof. Snape had already been waiting for them. He had a worried look on his face.

Seeing his godfather again sent Draco's emotions on another roller coaster. Relief, happiness, guilt.

He had missed Severus Snape a lot after he had died and still felt guilty for treating him badly when he was only trying to help during his 6th year. Maybe Draco should have felt betrayed, when he found out that they hadn't been on the same side. But Snape had healed his wounds when Potter had nearly killed him. He had saved his life when he took the unbreakable vow with his mother. He had taken over the task set by the Dark Lord when Draco couldn't. He had protected him, even though they were not on the same side. There was no way that he could feel anything for the man but gratitude. He had looked up to the man when he was really just a kid but now he really respected and admired the man before him.

Professor McGonagall motioned the three students to take a seat.

"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you two were taken ill on the train," Snape began.

He was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Madam Pomfrey came bustling in.

"I'm fine," Potter said, "I don't need anything-"

"Oh it's you, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring the other students in the room. She checked his temperature. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?" she muttered.

Draco chuckled. Potter must have spent a lot of his time in the infirmary.

"It was a dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy's reactions were especially worrying."

The adults exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.

"Setting dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back Draco's hair and feeling his forehead. "They won't be the last ones who collapse. Yes, they are all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate-"

"I'm not delicate!" Draco and Harry interrupted at the same time. The glanced at each other.

"Potter has seen his parents die when he was a baby and he has faced the Dark Lord twice! I'd like to see anyone else experience that and then not have a bad reaction to one of those blasted things!" Draco argued. He had found Potter's fainting pathetic the first time around, but now he knew how the Dementors affected people who had experienced traumatic events, as he now too was such a person. And he felt like he owed Potter. He had found it in his heart to forgive Draco for everything that had happened, he had saved his life in the Room of Hidden Things and he had kept him and his family out of Azkaban.

Everyone was staring at him now. Had Draco Malfoy really just defended Harry Potter?

Draco sunk deeper into his chair, making himself as small as possible.

"What do they need?" Snape finally broke the awkward silence, seemingly ignoring Draco's little outburst. His gaze, however, lingered on Draco.

"Some chocolate will do," Madam Pomfrey answered.

"Prof. Lupin already gave us some," Harry muttered.

"Did he, now?" Madam Pomfrey said approvingly. "So, we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"

Snape harrumphed. McGonagall glared at him disapprovingly.

"Are you sure you two feel alright?" she asked Draco and Harry.

They both nodded their heads.

"Very well. Prof. Snape will go down to the feast with you, while I have a quick word with Miss Granger here."

Out in the corridor Harry muttered a quick "Thanks," into the direction of Draco.

 _Weird_ , Draco thought. He hadn't expected Potter to show gratitude. He had always thought that Potter hated him and was arrogant, or at least he had as a thirteen year old. But apparently, his vision of the past had been a little distorted by his own feelings.

"Don't mention it, Potter."

Together with Prof. Snape they made their way to the Great Hall in silence. Potter went to his table while Snape motioned Draco to have a quick word with him.

Draco expected a scolding for helping Potter or him demanding an explanation, but when his head of house turned towards him with a worried look on his face, he got neither.

"Is everything alright, Draco?"

He had the same look on his face that he had when he tried to talk to him in his sixth year. How foolish he was to turn down the help.

"I'm fine," Draco said. It felt good to know that someone worried and cared about him.

"You were right in your assumption that Mr. Potter has good reasons to react in the way he did. You, however, have no such reasons," he pressed on.

"I... I know… I don't know why I reacted that way," he lied.

"When you need to talk to someone, you know my door is always open," he said, obviously not believing Draco's story.

"I know. Thank you for caring," Draco said and flashed his godfather a smile.

Snape smiled too and let his godson leave.

In the Great Hall he noticed that he had just missed the Sorting. He would have loved to see his Astoria being sorted. Unlike her older sister, Daphne, who was a Slytherin, Astoria had been a Ravenclaw. Fitting, Draco thought, she had been one of the smartest witches he had ever known.

Draco sat down at Slytherin table. He did not listen to the headmaster, but instead watched Astoria the whole time. He did not hear the warning about the Dementors and the introduction of the two new professors. He did not notice, that this time, Prof. Lupin was greeted with a thundering applause from both the Gryffindor and the Slytherin table. He did not notice Prof. Snape watching him instead of glaring at Lupin, either. She was alive. And that was all that mattered to him right now. After the horrible day he had had so far, he finally felt at ease. Everything would be alright.

TBC

Let me know what you think guys :)


	5. Chapter 5

AN I am so sorry for not updating in over a month. First there were finals at my university and then I was in Greece for a little over a week... Anyways, I'm back and motivated to write as much as I possibly can during the summer holidays.

English is not my mother tongue and I do not own Harry Potter.

Read, enjoy and review :)

ooOOoo

The next day was quite uneventful. Until they had Care of Magical Creatures, that was. Draco grimly thought about the events of his first lesson with Hagrid the first time around. One thing Draco was sure of: he would not end up in the hospital wing this time.

The more he thought about it, the happier he got. He would be able to show off and get tons of house points. The era of Hermione Granger, the insufferable know it all, was over. He knew he was being petty, but who cared?

On the way to Hagrid's hut, Draco dully noted that Weasley and Granger were not talking to each other.

"Trouble in paradise?" he laughed. He couldn't help himself. Crabbe and Goyle could be heard snickering behind him.

"Shut it, Malfoy," growled Weasley. Granger and Potter just looked gloomy.

Hagrid was already waiting for his students at the door of his hut with Fang sitting next to him. The half giant was giddy to begin his first lesson.

They all followed Hagrid to a kind of paddock.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it – make sure yeh can see – now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books."

The students all looked at each other.

"How?" Granger asked carefully.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open the books?" Pansy asked, holding up a book which was tied with a belt.

Draco had to grin, Slytherins and Gryffindors might not like each other but they were united in their inability to open their textbooks.

Everyone went really quiet. Draco saw the crestfallen look on Hagrid's face and decided to help him out. And show off a bit. He got out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, stroked the book's spine and opened it.

"Wow Draco, how did you do that?" That was Crabbe.

"It's not that hard," Draco said and took Hermione's book. "You just have to pet them."

With that he ran his fingers down the spine of Hermione's book, opened it and handed it back to her with a smug grin on his face. "See? Easy."

It felt good, knowing something that know-it-all Granger didn't know. Granger, for her part, looked quite sullen.

His classmates, however, looked quite impressed.

"5 points ter Slytherin," Hagrid mumbled, partly grateful, partly physically pained that he had to give points to Slytherin. What a tragedy.

The lesson went on the way Draco remembered it. When Hagrid introduced the Hippogriffs, Draco recited a few basic facts about them, earning Slytherin another 3 points.

"Wow, how do you know so much about them," Pansy asked.

"Read about them," Draco shrugged. "Was bored during the summer holidays," he added as an afterthought. He had to be careful if he wanted to stay under the radar. He couldn't suddenly excel at everything. Defending Potter the other day had already been too risky.

So when Hagrid asked "Who wants ter go first?" Draco pinched Neville in the side. This made the boy squeak and jump which Hagrid obviously interpreted as him volunteering. Perfect.

Neville, looking very unhappy, followed the instructions to a T, flying over his cheering classmates' heads.

"Good work, Neville!" roared Hagrid as everyone cheered when he had landed again. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

Emboldened by Neville's success, the rest of the class cautiously climbed into the paddock. Hagrid untied the hippogriffs and soon people were standing around bowing nervously.

Crabbe and Goyle threw their books aside and approached Buckbeak whereas Draco had decided to try his luck with another hippogriff. Just to be on the safe side.

He didn't show it, but he was nervous.

"Hello there," he greeted the creature in front of him. "I am not here to hurt you so it would be nice if you returned the favour."

He glanced over to Crabbe and Goyle. Buckbeak had bowed to Crabbe who was now patting his beak, looking rather disdainful.

Draco was just about to bow down when he heard him say, "This is very easy." The words made Draco freeze in place. "Knew it was if an idiot like Longbottom could do it... " At that Draco jumped into action, or rather, fell into action. Turning around mid-bow had not been a good idea.

Draco toppled over and landed at the feet of his hippogriff, which startled the animal. Draco could just roll away in time before its talons hit him. But he had rolled straight into the abandoned books.

"Bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he heard Crabbe drawl.

One of the books bit into Draco's left leg and would not let go. "Darn," muttered Draco, suppressing the urge to scream in pain. He hopped over to Crabbe.

"Aren't you, you ug-"

"Crabbe!" Draco yelled.

Crabbe stopped mid-sentence and turned towards Draco.

Draco was momentarily at a loss for words. "Uhm... your stupid book attacked me! Get it off me," he muttered.

Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other, then at his leg and then they started laughing. Soon the other Slytherins standing around them started laughing too. Meanwhile, the book was still gnawing at his leg.

Eventually, Pansy patted the book and saved Draco.

Although tears were streaming down her cheeks because she had laughed so hard, she succeeded in asking him whether his leg was alright.

"It's alright," Draco muttered, glaring at everyone. It hurt like hell but he wasn't going to admit that.

Overall and even though he would be the laughing stock of Hogwarts for the next few days, Draco was still quite happy with how the class went. No innocent Hippogriff had to die. Neville, who was looking his way when they made their way back to the castle, was celebrated by his classmates. And most importantly, he had not ended up in the hospital wing. He counted that as a complete success.

TBC

Let me know what you think guys. Every kind of feedback is welcome (and might make me write and update faster, too ;) ).


	6. Chapter 6

A.N.: Welcome to chapter 6.

I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long – but it's NoVoWritMo so it should get better^^ I'm planning to write 1.000 words every day.

I was stuck at a certain part in the story that just didn't make sense but now it works. I hope...

English is still not my mother tongue and I still don't own Harry Potter.

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Draco spent the rest of the day in the library, hiding from his probably still laughing friends and reading up on curses, healing and the family history of the sacred 28. He concluded that he'd probably have to become a healer to save Astoria. To do that he would need excellent grades in Charms, Potions, DADA, Transfiguration and Herbology. Arithmancy could not hurt either. He already was quite apt with Potions, Transfiguration, Charms and DADA. His Arithmancy and Herbology skills were lacking, however.

He was convinced that if he devoted his time to studying, became a healer and made the right connections, he would be able to save his wife. The alternative was unthinkable.

He briefly thought about meddling with the war, taking on a more active role. Things had not gone ideally for Draco, and his knowledge of the future could make him the Dark Lord's most trusted follower. His parents would not fight so much, they would not lose so much status. None of his friends and family would have to die. The world would be his. But the thought sickened him. The Dark Lord had committed atrocious acts. No matter how he felt about politics, he would not wish the Dark Lord's wrath on his worst enemy. Not anymore. Not now that he knew what his wrath looked like.

He could, of course help the other side bring down Voldemort. A thought that did not bother him as much as he would have expected. They were not, and would never be, his friends, but he would still rather have Dumbledore call the shots than the Dark Lord. He'd rather endure muggle borns in school than use DADA to torture them.

However, he ultimately decided against meddling with the timeline. His knowledge was limited. He had not been present for many of the key events, did not know why Potter was ultimately able to defeat the Dark Lord. And he would probably end up making things a lot worse. Perhaps knowledge he shared would have the Dark Lord believe that his father or Snape were spies, because where else would he have gotten such information? And then he would kill them, and Draco knew that he could not live with any more guilt that he already did. He would try to save lives if he could, without interfering with bigger events.

More importantly, the Dark Lord would not come back anytime soon, so for now he did not need to think about the ethical issues that time travel brought along.

He buried his head in Herbology books. Better start with his worst subject.

He had been reading for an hour when he felt more than saw someone staring at him. He lowered his book and nearly suffered a heart attack when he saw Neville Longbottom standing right in front of him.

"Longbottom," he said, trying to hide his surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Longbottom just stood there, hand-wringing, eyes wide. "I… uhm…"

"Speak in full sentences," Draco drawled, wondering just how scared the boy was of him.

"I wanted to know why you pinched me earlier today," he finally managed to get out.

Draco studied him, considering his options. He hadn't expected that. And he had no real reason why he had done it. He just thought that Longbottom needed work on his self-confidence a little. And he needed someone to take the attention away from him. Which would have probably worked better if he hadn't almost been devoured by a book.

He tried to come up with a good excuse but couldn't find one. "I thought it would do you some good?" he finally said, grinning, more to hide his real thoughts than to make him squirm, which it did. "I'm sure the hat put you into Gryffindor for a reason."

He thought over these words, and even though they were not his real motive, he found that they were not untrue either. He definitely did not think Longbottom particularly brave the first time he was 13 but after seeing Longbottom stand up to the Dark Lord himself and slay Nagini he knew that the hat hadn't made a mistake.

Longbottom looked at him, his eyebrows raised.

"See, it already worked. You are here talking to me," Draco continued. He thought he was being quite funny. Longbottom didn't look like he felt the same way.

"Okay… but why?"

"Eh?"

"You hate me! Why are you suddenly so…," he motioned with his hands, trying to find the right word, "nice?" he finally asked what had been on his mind all day.

He was quite perceptive, Draco had to give him that. It was always the quiet ones that noticed everything.

Draco was not sure how to answer that, so he decided to go with another half-truth.

"First of all, don't say that I'm nice. Someone might hear you. Secondly, a person who is very dear to me is very sick. Things like that make one reevaluate things. Made me realize what's really important."

Neville nodded.

"Don't tell my father, but I'm thinking of becoming a healer," Draco whispered, pointing to the books in front of him. "Maybe I can help them."

"I… I understand that. I have sick relatives too. I'd do everything to make them better. It's one of the reasons why I like Herbology so much. Plants have the power to heal. I just haven't found the right one yet."

"Your parents?" Draco asked sympathetically, surprising Neville.

"Yeah... you know?" Neville sat down opposite of Draco. He looked uncomfortable.

Ups. Draco hadn't known at that age. He really needed to be more careful.

"Yeah… Bellatrix… she's my aunt. I'm sorry Neville."

"It's alright," he said, not looking at Draco but at the table between them. "I visit them as often as I can. Do you think they'll ever find a cure?"

Draco knew that they wouldn't but he also knew that no one had ever really looked into finding one. Neville's parents were unique. The Death Eaters had hardly ever let any of their victims survive. Not that Bellatrix had let Neville's parents live, she had been caught before she could kill Alice and Frank Longbottom.

"I don't know," Draco finally replied. But there was nothing wrong with hope, so he added, "but I know that Professor Snape has created a potion that helps with the immediate after effects of the Cruciatus. It helps prevent nerve damage. Maybe it can be further developed to heal already existing damage."

Neville's face lightened up, eyes fixed on Draco. "I've never heard of something like that. So there really might be hope?"

"Hmhm. You wouldn't have heard of it. He invented quite a few spells and potions but I don't think he ever published anything."

"Could you… Could you ask him about it?"

Draco wanted to ask why he didn't just ask him himself but felt stupid immediately. His godfather hated Neville Longbottom. Always had, always would. He wasn't sure why. Maybe his godfather saw some of himself in the boy. No friends, bullied by other students. Draco wasn't sure though. With the mystery that his godfather was, there was always the possibility of more being at work. Or maybe it really was the boy's lack of potions skills.

"What would you do with that kind of information? You suck at potions." He immediately regretted saying that, when he saw the boy's face fall. Being a father, Draco just could not stomach such hurt in children anymore. And he needed help. "Tell you what, you help me out with Herbology and I help you with your potions and ask Snape for you?"

"You'd do that?"

"Sure, I do need help with Herbology. My skills there are rather abysmal."

"I never thought I'd say this, Draco, but you are quite alright."

Draco smiled. How surreal all of this was. They spent a long time studying together that day.

TBC

Tell me what you think, guys. I'm open to suggestions :)


	7. Chapter 7

Draco didn't know it, but his presence in the past already had its effects. Not just was Buckbeak save and Hagrid could continue teaching the way he wanted to teach, which included fewer flobberworms than Draco remembered, but Neville had also gotten better in Potions, which made the next lesson a lot more peaceful, as Neville made an alright potion and did not have to feed it to his toad. Snape then also did not make fun of Neville in front of everyone during Lupin's first DADA lesson.

Neville, however, still put Snape into his grandmother's clothes during the first DADA lesson, which made Snape bully him even more than he already did. It was then that Draco, who had spent a lot of time studying with the boy, decided that it was time for them to pay their potion's master a visit.

Draco, having a reluctant Neville in tow, carefully knocked on the door of said potion's master. "May I come in, godfather?"

Neville stared at him wide eyed. Draco smirked. Perhaps he should have mentioned the relationship he had with their teacher, but it certainly was more fun that way.

"Draco? Of course, come in," he heard the Professor from the other side of the door.

Snape smiled until his eyes fell behind Draco.

"Mr. Longbottom?" he greeted curtly.

Draco shoved Neville in front of him.

"U-uhm, Professor, I came to apologize for ehm, what I did with the boggart. I am sorry and did not mean to embarrass you." It sounded very rehearsed. Probably because it was. Draco had forced Neville to practice his apology a few times.

Draco felt… positively Slytherin. He knew Snape could not refuse to accept the apology. He could not let a 13-year-old be the bigger man. Least of all Neville Longbottom. Especially not in front of someone else.

Grudgingly, he said, "Apology accepted, Mr. Longbottom. Is there anything else you need?"

Snape looked like he wanted to kick Neville out of his office and Neville took the chance and bolted.

Draco started to snicker and then laugh and then he almost started crying because he laughed so hard. Snape's dumbstruck face only made the situation funnier.

"Draco?" Snape sounded menacing.

"Sorry, godfather."

"What, pray tell, was this about?"

"Ahh…" Draco had done it to help Neville out a bit and too make Snape a bit more agreeable. He could use the peace of mind considering what else would happen in the next months and years. But he also knew that he couldn't tell him that, so he had come up with an explanation before he even started to coerce Neville into his apology.

"A bet amongst us Slytherins," he smirked. "After we heard what Longbottom's worst fear was we wanted to make him squirm. Obviously, I won the bet. Might need to borrow your Pensieve later, in case they do not believe me," he said. For good measure he added a "sir," after a few seconds. "Personally, I also think you deserved this apology after the ungrateful and disrespectful way in which he treated you."

"Well, thank you, Draco. But this is really none of your business and I would appreciate it if you could leave me out of such childish behavior in the future."

"Of course, sir."

Snape's features softened. "Do you want to stay for some tea?"

Draco smiled and nodded. He remembered how he would regularly visit him during his first years at Hogwarts. He bitterly regretted how their relationship had deteriorated in the final years the man had had on this planet. He would try to be nicer this time and maybe get to know the man better.

A house elf brought them some tea.

"How are your parents?"

"They are doing fine. Father sends his regards. He is quite busy at the ministry and mother is preparing a dinner party."

He wasn't sure whether this was true, but his father was always busy and sent his regards and his mother was always planning a social gathering of some sort.

Snape did not find anything suspicious in his answers. He seemed to be eager to find out what Draco thought about the new Defense professor.

"He is alright, I guess," Draco shrugged. "For a Gryffindor who lives on the streets and has an unhealthy obsession for the boy who lives to annoy, that is. Nothing compared to how undeniably brilliant the lessons would have been if the old man had allowed you to teach them but at least he seems to know what he's doing."

Severus nodded, not adding much to the conversation.

"Do you know him, sir?"

"Hardly," Snape replied. "We went to school together."

That was all his professor had to offer on this subject and Draco knew that that was all he would get out of him. Not that Draco had expected him to divulge their complicated relationship or what the new professor was doing at certain times of the month.

"Enough about me," Draco muttered after talking about his classes for another five minutes, "have you been working on anything interesting lately? Any new potions or any spells?"

This seemed to surprise Snape. Draco was not usually one to take an interest in things that did not directly involve him himself.

"Actually, I have been working on improving two year 7 potions over the holidays but unfortunately I will not be able to finish them anytime soon. Brewing potions for the school is taking up more of my time this year than it usually does," he did not sound very happy about this, Draco thought.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Improve potions? Or create your own? It must certainly be very difficult?"

"It is not a skill very many people possess, I admit. But with a bit of hard work, knowledge about different aspects of magical theory and a talent for potions, it is not impossible to learn."

That sounded less daunting than Draco had feared. "Could I learn?"

"You certainly do not lack the talent for potions. I could recommend you some introductory reading if you are interested," Snape offered. He seemed happy enough to share his passion.

"That would be wonderful, sir. How many potions have you created so far?"

"About ten. But I have improved many more."

"That is impressive. Have you thought about publishing a book?"

"I am not doing this for fortune or fame, Mr. Malfoy, and I advise you to find something in life that you enjoy regardless of whether it will bring you either of those things. I also do not have the time for such things."

Draco's face fell a bit. He had never worked in a field just because he liked it. He had just stepped into his father's footsteps and had never even thought about careers that might otherwise interest him. Not that he thought Snape liked his profession. But it had always been obvious that he enjoyed potions, if not the teaching of it.

"So, how does one go about creating their own potion?" Draco asked, his mind back on the original question.

"Well, that depends on what you want to do with it. Do you want to create a certain effect? Or create an antidote? Or create a healing potion? You need to know the problem that you want to solve and then learn everything about it."

"So, when you, for example, created the potions that helps with the aftereffects of the Cruciatus – you have created such a thing, right?"

He could feel more than see Snape growing suspicious. He had to tread carefully.

"That would be correct," he said curtly.

"So first you needed to know everything about the curse?"

"Yes- any particular reason this potion has struck your fancy?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, just the first one that came to mind," Draco lied. It was a good thing he was a natural at Occlumency. It would not stop Snape if he really tried to get information out of Draco, but it sufficed to keep his surface thoughts hidden from more gentle probing.

"Well, yes. I first needed to learn everything about the curse and its effect on the victims…"

Half an hour later Draco knew everything he needed to know about the Cruciatus potion and had gotten a few books about the subject of creating spells and potions.

Before he could leave, however, Snape stopped him with a few questions of his own. Draco had known he wouldn't get off so easily. Severus was generally a rather wary person and he could feel all the questions he had during their conversation and how he had judged Draco's every word.

"Why this sudden interest, Draco?"

"No particular reason," he muttered but Snape would not let him leave this easily.

"You have been acting odd lately."

Draco had decided that if he wanted Snape off his trail he needed something plausible that would be of such a nature that a grown up would leave him alone with it.

"Ehm… err…" he started fidgeting.

"Yes?"

"There… ehm…"

"Out with it, Draco."

"There is this girl I like," he blurted out.

"There… what?"

"A girl. She is not a Slytherin… Please don't tell anyone."

He had practiced this flustered outbreak in front of a mirror the day before. He could see by the look on Snape's face that he had not expected that. He could also see that Snape had no particular interest in learning anymore about this problem.

"I… I want to impress her."

Snape looked at him for a few seconds. Finally, he said, "if you need any help – with the potions that is – come talk to me."

"Thank you, sir." Draco left the room. He felt delighted. Everything had worked according to plan. He had gotten Neville to apologize, improved his relationship with his godfather and had gotten all the information that he needed. Not bad for one day.

 **TBC**

 **A.N.**

That was the chapter I was stuck with. It is not the best but I am a lot happier with it now than I've ever been…

Now the story will run a lot more smoothly I hope.

Anyone else doing a November Writing Challenge?

As always, tell me what you think. The good, the bad and the ugly ;)


	8. Chapter 8

Yeah, 3 days in a row I've updated :D

Thanks everyone for your support. Always love to hear what you think.

I don't own Harry Potter.

Read, enjoy and review :)

* * *

When Draco left Snape's office, he noticed that Neville had been waiting for him, jumping from one leg to the other, wringing his hands. "Well done, Neville," he said, patting him on the back.

"I think that was the most Gryffindor thing I've ever done," replied a very pale Neville, laughing nervously.

Draco chuckled, "I'm sure Snape'll grow on you... Eventually."

Neville threw him a skeptical look, but did not further comment on Draco's assessment. "I'm just happy we are both still alive... Do you have it?"

"Have what?" Draco asked, smiling innocently.

"Draco!"

"Just puling your leg," Draco laughed. "Of course I have the recipe for Snape's very own Cruciatus potion. Also have a couple of handy books about inventing potions and spells."

"Wow," Neville sounded astonished, "I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Draco mumbled. What a weird feeling this was, first helping a Gryffindor and then being thanked by one.

* * *

"Hey guys," Draco greeted as he entered the Slytherin common room.

"Hi, Draco. Where are you going?" Pansy asked.

"I wanted to go read a little," he showed them the books he was carrying.

"Ever since we came back from the hols you've been a real swot," she complained.

"Yeah, you never spend any time with us anymore," Goyle added.

Draco did not know what to say. He hadn't anticipated anyone actually missing him. They were, of course, right. During his time at school he had always been surrounded by others. They had not been particularly close, and as an adult Draco would not call their relationship friendship, but as a child everything of course looked differently. And he knew how dependent Crabbe and Goyle and sometimes even Pansy used to be of him. He also remembered his plan to at least try to befriend them, really befriend them, while he was on the train.

"I guess you are right guys," he conceded, putting his books on a table and walking towards them. "I'm sorry."

"Come sit with us for a while," Pansy invited. "My mum sent biscuits."

Only now did he notice that they were all sitting around Pansy, everyone having a biscuit in hand. They were all looking at him expectantly.

"Sure, why not." He sat down next to them and grabbed a biscuit. "Delicious," he said to Pansy who started giggling.

"What have you been up to?" Daphne asked, eyeing his books curiously.

"Snape invited me for tea," Draco half-lied.

"I saw Longbottom in front of his office. You know what he wanted?" Zabini asked, an unusual occurrence for the quiet boy.

"I think I heard him apologizing for the boggart," Draco laughed, and the others joined in. Coming up with a cover story on the spot was easier than he had expected. "Looked like he was about to cry." That was mean, although probably not too far from the truth.

"Guess the wrath of a scorned snake was too much for him," Daphne chuckled.

"Wish I'd seen that," Crabbe mused.

"I didn't think he had it in him," Pansy finally said. "I always thought the fat, little crybaby only ended up in the lion's den because he wouldn't fit in anywhere else. But he seems to have some of that Gryffindor foolishness in him."

"Must have if he's friends with that Potter brat," Goyle mumbled.

The others agreed.

"How did Snape react?" Pansy wanted to know.

"No idea," Draco shrugged.

"I hope he will be in a better mood from now on," she muttered.

"He has been in a bad mood?" Goyle asked.

"Of course _you_ haven't noticed. You are as thick as a brick," she complained. "Ever since that half-blood Lupin started teaching here he has been quite on edge."

"My mum says Lupin hasn't had a real job in his life. Not that I couldn't have told by the way he looks, but I wonder why that is?" Daphne added.

Draco was getting annoyed by all the bickering. Was that really how he had spent his youth? Badmouthing others? And how dense had he been that he never figured out there was something wrong with their professor? Snape's lecture on werewolves when Lupin was missing right after a full moon and his inability to find a job even though he obviously wasn't stupid should have really given Draco enough clues to figure it out even as a teenager. But he really did not want to discuss it further. "Hey Daphne, how is your sister doing? It's her first year, right?"

Daphne blushed a little as everyone's attention settled on her. "Yeah. Astoria's doing fine, I guess. Our parents are upset she was not sorted into Slytherin."

"It's a shame, really. She would have been a great Slytherin," Pansy chimed in.

"I don't know. She's always been more interested in books than anything else. I'm honestly not surprised she ended up there and I don't know why our parents are," Daphne mused. "But I think the Ravenclaws are not talking to her much because of her connection to our house."

"That's ridiculous," Pansy huffed. "We are wonderful people. They should be happy to be allowed to attend the same school as us."

"We could start hanging out outside our common room more, then Astoria could join us if she wants to," Draco offered. _And I could spend some time with her_ , his mind added.

"What a wonderful idea," Daphne was delighted.

"Maybe that will show others that we don't eat people from other houses," Pansy said.

"As long as they are not Gryffindors..." mused Zabini and everyone started laughing.

Draco spent the rest of the day in the Slytherin common room, socializing with his peers. He talked about Quidditch with Nott, Crabbe and Goyle, and played a round of Exploding Snap with Zabini and the girls.

TBC

As always, let me know what you think :)


	9. Chapter 9

A.N. Probably the last lighthearted chapter for a while. After this one, the action will begin.

Read, enjoy and review :)

* * *

Time passed quickly. Draco spent a lot of time studying and researching with Neville. Or practicing Quidditch, which was one thing he had missed about school. As a grown up you just didn't get to play much Quidditch anymore. It was nearing the end of October and their first match was approaching quickly. Flint was making them practice extra hard, no matter the weather. And the weather was pretty bad. When he wasn't practicing or studying, he spent time with his housemates.

"And you are sure you don't mind if she joins us?" Daphne asked.

"Not a bit," Pansy chirped.

Crabbe and Goyle just shrugged their shoulders.

"I don't mind, either," Draco said. He had been hoping to get a chance to get closer to his future wife, get to know a different side of her. Maybe they could be friends until they were old enough to be dating.

"Uh- be quiet, there she comes!"

Light brown curls, freckles and hazel eyes greeted them. "H-Hello."

Draco's heart skipped a beat and he felt like the teenager he was.

"Hi, Tory! These are my friends, you know some of them already, but this is Pansy, those are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, this is Blaise Zabini and he over there is Draco Malfoy," introduced Daphne. "Guys, this is my sister Astoria."

A lot of hand shaking, and small talk followed.

They had decided to meet outside their dorm once a week so their non-Slytherin friends – which really only was Daphne's Ravenclaw sister Astoria – could join them. They had wanted to meet outside but the weather just wouldn't allow it. So now they were in the library. The others hadn't noticed, but Draco had cast a silent Muffliato so they wouldn't get kicked out immediately.

"Hi Astoria. We already met at the train station but it's nice to officially meet you," Draco said as soon as he got the chance to talk to Astoria without the others listening. As far as he remembered, he had never met the Greengrass sisters before Hogwarts. They might have been at some of the same dinner parties, but back then Draco had mostly played with Crabbe and Goyle, and not so much with the girls present at such parties.

"Thanks. It's nice to meet you, too."

"How do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"I love it! The classes are fascinating. I like Charms, Defense and Potions. Say- is Professor Snape always this… grumpy?"

Draco chuckled. "I wouldn't call his personality overly friendly on the best of days, but he has been in a foul mood lately." He shrugged. "I'm sure he'll calm down. How do you like to be in Ravenclaw?"

He could see her face fall.

"No one there seems to like me much. I asked the hat to put me into Slytherin so I could be with Daphne but it said I wouldn't be happy there… The only one who talks to me is this weird girl, Lena or something…"

"Luna?"

"Yeah, that's the one. But my sister said I shouldn't talk to her. Her family is full of blood traitors and she is really weird, she says. And no one else seems to be talking to her, either."

"Do you like her?"

"She seems nice," Astoria answered.

"Then don't listen to what others tell you. Try to judge people on their personalities. Befriend who you want to befriend. Your sister loves you, that's not going to change. And as soon as the other Ravenclaws see that you are not an evil spy for Slytherin they will come around. You are smart – they like that. And if they don't you are always welcome to hang out with us."

Astoria gave this some thought, then she started to smile. "Thank you, Draco."

"You're welcome."

* * *

That Sunday marked their first visit to Hogsmeade. Even though the weather was bad, Draco enjoyed the trip with his housemates immensely. It felt like visiting Diagon Alley with his son for the first time. Everyone was excited like if it had been Christmas. The air of excitement was contagious. He bought a year's supply of candy at Honeydukes. Only Crabbe and Goyle bought more. He bought a new quill at Scrivenshaft's and books Snape had recommended but which weren't in the library at Tomes and Scrolls. They visited Zonko's – but he left when he saw the Weasleys arrive with an evil glint in their eyes directed towards him. Then he went to Spinwitches Sporting Needs for some new Quidditch equipment.

When they entered the Great Hall later that day, it was decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant water snakes.

The food was delicious. But Draco could not shake the feeling that the Weasley twins were watching him while he was drinking his pumpkin juice. But he was probably just imagining things.

The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. The popped out of walls and did some formation gliding. The Gryffindor ghost reenacted his own beheading.

Suddenly, Draco felt dizzy. His vision blurred and when everything came back into focus, everyone at the Slytherin table was dead quiet and staring at him.

Draco gulped. Glancing over at the Gryffindor table he saw the twins faces growing red from the effort it took them not to laugh.

"Your hair," whispered Daphne.

Draco had a bad feeling about this. He grabbed a spoon and looked at his own reflection.

"Oh no," he groaned.

The first thing he noticed was his nose, because it was so much bigger than anything else in the spoon's reflection. It was freckled! Malfoys did not have freckles!

He moved the spoon further away to see more of his face.

His hair! It was red.

Draco felt his cheeks burning with embarrassment and the anger bubbling inside him.

He could hear the other houses noticing his problem – they started laughing.

Draco took a deep breath. His younger self would have flipped out and threatened people with his father. And his teenage hormones and temper were in favor of this solution. But his grown-up self knew better. He knew making a fuss would only make the situation worse than it already was and he knew exactly that that was what the twins wanted.

"Oh, we are going to kill them," Goyle said, jumping up, followed by Crabbe.

Draco took another calming breath. "No," he said very calmly. Then he stood up and walked over to the Gryffindor table.

The laughing table quieted down. The twins had tears in their eyes. "May we help you, Malfoy?" one of them asked.

"Well," Draco said, loud enough so everyone could hear because he knew everyone was listening and watching, "I was looking at my reflection and thought, red hair and freckles – I must be a Weasley."

It seemed like the students did not know how to handle a Slytherin making a joke. It surprised Draco that the first ones to laugh were the perpetrators themselves. Fred and George started laughing like maniacs and the other students started to laugh as well.

"And suddenly," Draco continued, "I felt the urge to do something reckless like go for a midnight stroll in the Forbidden Forest or drive a flying car to school."

Again, everyone chuckled. Draco risked a glance at Potter and Weasley. Potter seemed amused while Weasley was looking furious.

"Long lost brother," one of the twins cried. "We missed you so much," the other added.

"What is this commotion?" drawled a voice from behind them.

It was Snape, followed by McGonagall.

"Nothing, nothing," one of the Weasleys said, now standing beside Draco.

The other put an arm around Draco. "Just helping our brother here celebrate his inner Weasley."

Draco could tell on them, but he decided it would probably be better if they owed him a favor. He would get back at them later.

"That's right, professor. Apparently, I've been in the wrong house my entire life."

"We demand a resorting," the Weasleys said in unison.

The pair of professors was just staring at them blankly.

"The feast is over," McGonagall finally announced,"prefects, lead the students back to their houses."

Draco walked back to his dorm.

"Wow Draco, that was really amazing," was the first thing Pansy said.

"Yeah," Nott agreed, "how you made everyone laugh at the Weasleys instead of at you was really awesome."

"But Draco," Zabini said, "you look really stupid with red hair."

* * *

Let me know what you think :) and have a great weekend :)


	10. Chapter 10

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

While the others were celebrating Draco's handling of the Weasley-situation, Draco was worried. The red-hair-incident hadn't happened the first time around.

What had he changed? What else would be different? He did not feel like he had done anything extraordinary that would alter the time line, but how was he supposed to know what was important and what wasn't? He barely even remembered his third year, only the bigger events, like Sirius Black braking into Hogwarts or the Dementor prank pulled on Potter.

Barely back in their common room, their prefects rushed in, their faces pale and sweaty, and told everyone to go back to the Great Hall.

"Do we really have to?" Millicent groaned.

"Now," was the only response she got.

The younger years started to move first. Soon everyone was on their way back.

Draco walked with Crabbe and Goyle. Pansy and Daphne hurried through the crowd to catch up with them.

"What do you think is going on?" Daphne asked the group.

"Something horrible, probably," Pansy theorized.

"Well," Draco said, aware of the most probably cause of their sudden forced departure, "I hope you guys will take good care of me."

"Why?" asked Crabbe.

"Because," he let his hand wander through his long, red hair, "as one of Potter's best friends, Sirius Black might want to kill me, too."

He kept on walking, leaving his baffled friends behind. It was a bit morbid, joking about an alleged mass murderer killing him, but Draco didn't much care.

In the Great Hall they caught up with him again.

"What do you mean?" whispered Pansy frantically. "You don't mean- You don't mean to say he's here, do you?" she laughed hysterically.

Draco didn't answer, just motioned his head towards Dumbledore, as once all the students were in the hall and all the doors were closed, he started to explain. Although explain might have been an exaggeration. "The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle. I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge."

He then proceeded to conjure sleeping bags.

"Seriously?" Pansy screeched. "We are supposed to sleep here? On the floor? And he doesn't even offer an explanation? Why do they need to search the castle?"

"I reckon Draco is right: Black is in the castle. Why else would they act like this?" Daphne offered.

"But he was a follower of _Him_ …" Goyle whispered, "He wouldn't hurt any Slytherins, right?"

Draco looked at Goyle for a second. "He spent what - 12 years? - in Azkaban. I've heard that half the prisoners lose their minds after staying there for only a week. There is no telling what he would or wouldn't do."

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" The head boy yelled over the excited chatter of the students. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

Somehow, Draco was glad this had happened. It meant he hadn't changed things too much. It meant things might still happen the way he remembered them.

Draco could see that his friends were scared. They were 13 and knew that a mass murderer was in their home, of course they were scared. He knew that none of them would be sleeping very well that night.

"How did he get in?" Daphne whispered. "I thought Hogwarts was supposed to be safe."

"Maybe he apparated in?" Goyle reckoned.

"No," Pansy answered. "No one can apparate inside or outside of Hogwarts."

"Maybe he came in disguise. Polyjuice or something," theorized Daphne. "Or he might have just flown in on a broom."

"Maybe," Draco muttered, but he doubted it. He looked at his hair. It was starting to lose its color. Another 30 minutes and he was sure he would be a proper Malfoy again.

"Can't we just give him Potter? That's what he wants, right?" Crabbe suggested.

"Crabbe," Daphne said indignantly.

"What? It's true. I can't be the only one to think like that," he defended himself.

"The lights are going out now!" shouted the head boy. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles all went out at once. But the quiet chattering went on for a very long time.

* * *

The following week the school talked about nothing else. What - or who - was Sirius Black after? How did he get out of Azkaban? How did he get into Hogwarts? What was he going to do now? Where was he hiding?

With every conversation Draco listened to, the theories got wilder and wilder. He once heard a second year Ravenclaw tell everyone how Sirius Black was a ghost and had come through the walls. A Hufflepuff told everyone how he was a vampire. And someone told him Black could turn into a flowering shrub.

If it hadn't been so serious, Draco would have found it funny. Granted, he had an advantage over everyone else – he knew no one would die. At least not this year.

* * *

"How is life in Gryffindor tower?" he asked Neville, when he met him in the library on Friday. It was the day Snape had taught Defense. Draco could remember that day clearly and was again relieved that things were still happening the way he remembered them.

Neville looked miserable. "They replaced the Fat Lady with this lunatic, Sir Cadogan – you know, that guy who bothers you on the way to Divination?"

Draco nodded. He knew the guy although he wasn't taking Divination. He already knew more about the future than Divination could ever teach him.

"He changes passwords twice a day! How is anyone supposed to remember that?" Neville complained.

"I'm sure he is just worried about your safety," Draco offered, but found the thought of that crazy knight as a guardian highly amusing. And Neville forgot the password all the time anyway so not much had actually changed.

"And he always challenges me to a duel," Neville continued his rant.

"Have you ever dueled him?" Draco asked, amused.

"Well, no. He is only a painting. You can't duel a painting, can you?"

Draco just shrugged. "Why don't you just organize someone else to guard the entrance?"

"No one wants to... after what happened to the Fat Lady," Neville sighed.

That stopped his rambling, for now. Draco took a deep breath. The following weeks were not going to be easy.

TBC

A.N.

Grin like the Cheshire Cat Thanks for the review :) I love the Weasley twins and I'm sure we'll see more of them in the future :) After all, Draco still has to avenge himself ;)


	11. Chapter 11

The Quidditch team trained every day and the weather got worse steadily. It was incredibly windy, and it rained heavily when they had their first match of the year: Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

Even at noon it was dark, and the wind was howling. Draco did not remember ever playing under such horrible weather conditions. None of the players wanted to but Flint made them practice harder than ever.

The only positive thing was that this way he did not have time to miss his family like he usually did or worry about his life decisions.

Draco was in a bad mood when he made his way, head bowed down, fighting against the wind, towards the Quidditch pitch on Saturday, the day of the match. He wasn't surprised that even though the weather was the way it was the whole school was watching the match. That was how popular Quidditch was and Gryffindor vs Slytherin always drew a large crowd.

When they all walked onto the pitch he knew the crowd was cheering but he couldn't hear them over the loud howling of the wind.

Before the game even began he was already soaked and half frozen.

The captains shook hands, Hooch blew her whistle and the game began.

Draco could barely keep his broom steady, but he wasn't the only one.

He could see Potter struggling and squinting. He probably couldn't see anything through his glasses.

"Problems, Potter?" he laughed.

"Shut up, Malfoy," was the response, which Draco found highly amusing.

Thunder and lightning made the game even more dangerous.

Then, 30 minutes into this horrible match, Draco could hear Wood yell, "Harry, behind you!"

Draco looked over to Harry and they both saw the Snitch – which was right between them – at the same time.

They both rushed towards it. The Snitch went up higher and they both followed. They were practically side by side, so it was hard for Draco to estimate who would reach the Snitch first, when suddenly everything went cold. Cold and suspiciously quiet. The Dementor were getting closer.

"Darn," Draco muttered. If he fainted now he would probably fall to his death.

Still racing towards the Snitch, Draco searched for his wand. He could see Harry losing his concentration and he noticed his own vision blurring and he started hearing screams.

His hands were shaking. He tightened his knees around his broom and used one hand to keep Harry on his broom, who seemed to be losing consciousness, the other to raise his wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled. A blinding light filled the air for a second. It wasn't much but enough to make the cold go away.

He had never been able to produce a fully corporal patronus but he had worked on it after the war. It had been a therapeutic experience.

He pocketed his wand again. The Snitch was right in front of him. He reached for it. The moment his fingers closed around the Snitch, something pulled him back.

Harry had lost his broom and his weight was pulling them both down.

"Malfoy," Potter yelled. At least he hadn't fainted. He was now holding on to Draco's legs, pulling him off his broom. Now Draco was holding onto his broom with his hands while Harry was holding onto him.

They were nearing the ground at a dangerous speed. Not as fast as they would have been free falling but still fast enough to cause some serious damage among impact. Racing brooms weren't made for two people.

"Can you climb up and hold onto the broom?" he yelled. He was surprised Harry actually managed to do that. They were now both holding onto the broom.

"Put your weight forward a bit!" Draco instructed, and Harry immediately caught on.

The broom was now not falling straight out of the sky but somewhat diagonally. Harry hit the ground running while Draco stumbled and then rolled in the mud. The crowd was silent, shocked.

Draco looked over to Harry, who seemed to be alright. Draco stayed on the ground, his arm hurt like hell. Which reminded him…

He lifted his other arm and opened his hand slowly, revealing the Snitch.

It took a second for everyone to catch on to what happened, but soon everyone on the Slytherin side started to cheer.

Crabbe and Goyle landed next to Draco and soon the whole team was around him, cheering.

"Awesome," Flint yelled.

"Yeah," Draco agreed, "I'm the best. Now can someone please get Madam Pomfrey?"

oooOOOooo

Draco spent the rest of the day in the infirmary, which he found blatantly unfair. Potter hadn't even had a scratch, although the whole thing had been more or less his fault. But he had ended up with a broken arm and a mild concussion. And his broom got destroyed. At least Potter's broom hadn't faired any better. That was a mild compensation.

At least the whole of Slytherin had visited him. They had been ecstatic, to say the least. Because Draco couldn't join their celebrations they had decided to bring the celebration to him – at least until Madam Pomfrey kicked them out.

"They don't even want a rematch," Flint cheered. "Potter said you caught the Snitch before he fell off his broom so even Wood agrees we won fair and square."

Draco was quite glad no one knew what had really happened. Everyone assumed his patronus had been lightning and that Potter fell of his broom and held on to Draco. This was quite alright with him. He wanted to be the Slytherin hero who even though he got assaulted by a hundred dementors and a Gryffindor's clumsiness, still managed to catch the Snitch and win the game.

He had a few surprise visits. One of which was Neville Longbottom. He gave him a potted plant and wished him a quick recovery. Another were the Weasley twins who left him, while he slept, a pack of candy which Draco was sure he would never eat. He still had to come up with a way to get back at them for the hair. Daphne visited him too, which wasn't so surprising as almost every Slytherin came by at some point, but she was accompanied by her sister Astoria, which made his day infinitely better.

Towards the end of the day, Harry Potter stopped by the infirmary, making sure that no one else was around to see him.

"Hi," he mumbled.

"Potter," he nodded his head.

He looked very out of place.

"I- although you probably didn't mean to save me or anything, but you still did so-"

"Get to the point," Draco growled.

"Thanks for saving my butt. I don't know what would have happened if I had fallen and you hadn't been there… I'm sorry about your broom, too."

"Don't mention it. I mean it, don't."

"Don't worry. I won't mention it. Would ruin my reputation as well as yours," he chuckled, "Some people think you pushed me of my broom. But most think I fainted because of that lightning and held onto you… Well, thanks, anyways."

When Harry didn't leave immediately, Draco asked, "Anything else?"

"I just don't get why they effect me so much! No one else seems to have this problem. Well, besides you on the train, but you seem to have gotten over it."

"Not really," Draco mumbled. "There are things you can do about them but you should ask a Professor about it. Maybe Lupin, Defense is his forte."

Potter thanked Draco again and then left.

It had been a long and taxing day and Draco was happy when at last everyone was gone and he could enjoy the quiet.

TBC

Finally some action. There will definitely be more of that in the next couple of chapters.

As always, let me know what you think :)


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for the reviews and favorites :)

Read, enjoy and review ;)

oooOOOooo

"What are we looking for again?"

"Hypericum... it's a plant," answered Neville. It was November now and Neville and Draco were walking through the Forbidden Forest.

Draco looked at him with a blank face.

"Just look for a yellow flower."

"Fine, but why exactly?"

"I read up on the theory behind the usage of plants and herbs in potions in that book Snape gave you and I had an idea... say do you ever listen to me?" the boy scoffed.

"Ehm sure," Draco shrugged. "Sometimes," he added, grinning.

"Git," Neville said, which made Draco laugh.

"I can't see anything yellow here, let's go deeper into the forest."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Neville looked very pale. "We shouldn't be here anyways."

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"We could get eaten by a Werewolf," Neville said nervously.

Draco laughed. "Werewolfs? Really?"

"Snape-"

"I know what Snape said in DADA but it's not even a full moon today and it's not even dark yet. If there is a werewolf in the forest – and I'm not saying that that is the case – he would be just as human right now as you and I. We both have our wands. We'll be fine."

"If you say so," Neville begrudgingly followed Draco deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

"Are those your Hyperboles?"

"Hypericum. And yes I think you're right. Let's collect a few," Neville instructed.

"Yes, Sir," Draco mocked but started collecting the yellow flowers.

The magic that ran through the Forbidden Forest led to flowers blooming a lot longer than they would anywhere else in the UK.

After a while, Neville turned towards Draco. "Uhm, Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" he stayed quiet for a few seconds, listening. "I'm not hearing anything."

"No, I'm sure I heard something. Behind that bush over there," Neville whispered.

Draco got up and threw his flowers at Nevillle.

"Ehm, what are you doing?"

"Checking that noise out, it is probably just a Niffler or a Puffskein or something," he made his way towards the bush.

He was positive that his younger self would have been scared senseless but after having been through a war he was quite certain he could fight whatever was lurking in the Forbidden Forest.

He was prepared for many things. Thestrals, trolls, dementors, unicorns,… but he wasn't prepared for what he found when he pushed the branches of the bush aside.

A man with a mass of long, filthy hair and torn and dirty clothes was crouching on the ground, eating plants. He looked awful. He was skinny and had huge dark rings under his eyes, which, Draco noticed, were now looking at him.

"Sirius Black," he gasped, reaching for his wand. He knew Sirius was not the killer the Daily Prophet would like everyone to think he was. So, he really didn't have to fear the man, right?

Black tried to flee.

"Stay were you are," Draco yelled, firing a stinging hex towards him.

Black turned around and faced Draco. His eyes were wild and crazy.

Draco gulped. "D… Don't move!"

Suddenly, the man turned into a huge, black dog and Draco wasn't quite so sure about his safety anymore.

He inched backwards and tripped over a root, landing on his butt and losing his wand.

The dog came closer, growling.

That moment, Neville appeared.

"I…I…It's the grim!" he screamed.

"Neville," Draco yelled. "Do something." The dog came closer and closer and he did not dare reach for his wand.

Neville pulled his wand out of his robe and nearly dropped it. "P-Petrificus Totalus!" Neville yelled, but missed. Regardless, it gave Draco enough time to dive for his own wand.

"Stupefy," yelled Draco at the same time as Neville yelled, "Petrificus Totalus." Both spells hit the dog square in the chest.

"Incarcerous!" fired Draco. Thin cords shot from his wand and the next moment, the dog was no longer a dog but an unconscious bound and gagged man.

"Wha-?" Neville was speechless. "No way," recognition dawned on him, "it is Sirius Black!"

oooOOOooo

"I think he's waking up," Neville muttered.

Draco inched closer towards the fallen and bound man. He looked awful. He was skinny and had huge dark rings under his eyes, which, Draco noticed, were now looking at him.

"Woah," he jumped back.

"Easy there, kid," Sirius mumbled, sounding rather groggy. "I'm not who you think I am."

"Prison escapee Sirius Black?" Neville asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, maybe I am who you think I am," he admitted, snickering. "But I am not what the Prophet portrays me as. I did not kill all those muggles."

"No," Draco ventured, "then who did?"

"Pettigrew," he looked at them expectantly. "Peter Pettigrew," he clarified.

"Peter Pettigrew is dead," Draco said. Of course, he knew that he wasn't. But he wasn't supposed to know.

"He's a rat," Black mumbled. "A rat."

"Mmmm a rat. Definitely. Makes sense," Neville turned away from Sirius and faced Draco. "I think he's lost it," he whispered, "We should call help. Dumbledore, maybe," Neville tried to argue.

"No, wait!" Sirius interrupted. "He's an Animagus. Peter's an Animagus. Just like I am."

"Is that how you got out of Azkaban? You're an Animagus?" Draco asked.

"Yes," the man nodded frantically.

"How about you start at the beginning?"

"How about you untie me first?"

"How about no?"

Sirius face fell. "Okay. Fair enough. I'll tell you what I know."

And so Sirius Black told Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom the whole story, from his time at Hogwarts, to the murder of James and Lily Potter, to the newspaper article that led to his escape and how he now stayed in the Forbidden Forest and was trying to catch Peter Pettigrew. He also explained how he, when Draco found him, first wanted to flee, but after getting attacked decided to scare Draco off.

"We need to tell someone," said Neville once Sirius had finished his story.

"No," Sirius shook his head. "No one will believe me without any proof."

" _I'm_ not sure _I_ believe you," Neville said.

"I do," Draco chimed in.

"Thanks, boy," Sirius threw him a smile, before his eyes darkened. "You have to help me kill Pettigrew."

"No!" Neville jumped up, looking appalled. "We're not killing anyone!"

"He has killed Lily and James!" Sirius replied hotly. "He has betrayed his friends and made Harry an orphan!"

"Yes," Neville said, "he has done horrible things. If what you're saying is true, he is a horrible person. But we are not."

Sirius glared at Neville.

"We have to capture him," Draco reasoned. "It's the only way we can proof you are innocent. If you really are innocent."

"I am," growled Sirius. He exhaled slowly. "I am sorry, guys. This is hard for me."

"It's okay," said Neville, calming down as well.

"So, how are we going to capture him?" asked Sirius.

The boys looked at each other.

"We'll think of something."

"Alright. Now that you obviously believe me, can you untie me?"

Draco reluctantly freed the man. He knew he was innocent, but Draco had never heard anything positive said about this man and he seemed a bit unhinged. And murderous.

"Thanks, kid. What are your names, by the way? You look familiar, both of you."

"I am Neville Longbottom and this is Draco Ma-" Draco elbowed him in the stomach.

"Draco… MacDougal," Draco finished.

Sirius eyed him wearily before he turned to Neville.

"Longbottom, eh? I knew your parents. Went to school with them. Good people."

"Really?" Neville's face lit up and for the first time this night he didn't look like he would run away any minute. "Can you tell me about them?"

Sirius face fell and Draco wondered whether the man had known that the Longbottoms weren't happily and healthily living with their son.

"Sure will do, kid. But maybe not today. How about we meet again tomorrow night?"

They went their separate ways.

While the boys picked up the flowers they had dropped earlier, Neville asked, "Do you believe him?"

"Yeah," Draco muttered. "His story makes sense. I wouldn't have believed him if I hadn't seen him transforming into a dog right in front of my very eyes. But he did, so I believe him."

Neville gave this some thought. "What are we going to do about the rat?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

TBC

Dun-dun-dun – what do you all think of this development? There's finally some action thrown into all of this.


	13. Chapter 13

Draco couldn't sleep that night. His plan to stay out of everything had become next to impossible with the discovery of Sirius Black.

Should he tell Potter about it? Or maybe Snape? Or Dumbledore?

Potter was out of question - he would probably do something rash, Gryffindorish. On second thought, so would Snape. He hated Black with a passion. Draco wasn't even sure he would be able to finish his story before Snape would go ballistic. That left Dumbledore. But he wasn't too sure about him either. The man had a way of knowing things and Draco worried Dumbledore would notice something off about him immediately. Maybe as a last resort.

First, he needed to get the rat. How was he supposed to do that was beyond him.

In the morning, he made his way to the library where he told Neville to meet him before breakfast.

"Where does the Weasel always keep his rat?" he asked instead of a greeting.

"Well, good morning to you, too, Draco," Neville yawned.

"No time for pleasantries, where does he keep it? Does he take it with him or does he leave it in his room?"

Neville gave this some thought. "His room, I think. I really think we should tell a teacher about this, though."

"Alright," Draco said. "Let's tell Snape about it. I'm sure he'll know what to do."

"S- Snape?" Neville whispered.

"Yeah. Why not? He's my head of house and my godfather. I'm sure he'll help," Draco had a hard time keeping his face straight.

"Ehm- err… Can… Can't we tell someone else?" Neville asked.

"Why? I think Snape is perfect for this."

Neville didn't say anything.

"Let's leave that for a plan B, alright?" Draco finally said. "We'll try on our own first."

"Okay," Neville finally relented. "What is the plan?"

"What do you have first period?"

"Herbology," Neville answered.

"Ok, I have a free period there. Are there any Gryffindors in your common room during the first period, you think?"

"No," Neville thought about it some more, "No, all of them have something in their first period."

"Perfect. You'll tell Sprout that you felt sick this morning. She likes you, so she'll believe it. Then we sneak into your room and catch the stupid rat. Piece of cake."

"What?!" Neville shrieked.

"You tell Sprout you are sick and skip the first period. Then we break into the Gryffindor tower – which wouldn't be much breaking in for you since you live there anyways, but never mind. We catch the rat and get it to Sirius or Dumbledore," Draco repeated.

"You want to lie to our teachers and break into my dorm?"

"Well, technically you'd be the one lying, and I'd be the one breaking in but… yeah, pretty much."

"We can't do this!"

"Why not? Do you have a better plan?" Draco asked.

"N-No. But you're a Slytherin! If anyone finds out I let a Slytherin in, they'll kill me!"

"You don't trust me," Draco asked mock-hurt.

"Well- I- ehm…"

oooOOOooo

"It took me another ten minutes to convince him," Draco whined.

"It was a stupid plan to begin with," Neville complained.

Sirius stared at them both, open mouthed. "You are a Slytherin?" he finally asked.

"Yeah," Draco huffed, "got a problem with that?"

"Wait- You are a Malfoy!"

"Yes," Draco took a deep breath. This might take a while.

"Your parents are followers of Voldemort!"

"Well, so were yours," Draco muttered. "You of all people should know one shouldn't judge people on their parents!"

"We can trust him," Neville tried to help, "I think."

"Well thanks, Nev, that's helping," Draco looked at Neville. "It doesn't matter whether you trust us or not, we're the only help you have. Also, I brought you food, but if you think I poisoned it or something, I'll eat it myself."

"Wait!" Sirius seemed to be thinking. "You're talking about real food?"

Draco nodded his head. "Real pumpkin pie and real- hey!"

Draco didn't get to finish his sentence as Sirius had grabbed his bag and was already eating.

"And by the way," Draco continued, "I think we're related. You are my uncle or something. So, nice to meet you or whatever."

"Ok, ok, fine," Sirius muttered while eating. "I'll ignore this obvious miss-sorting for now. Now, do you have the rat?"

"You should slow down a bit," Neville interrupted. "I don't think eating – if you can call what you're doing eating – like that is healthy."

"That's the first real meal I had in… 13 years, come to think of it. Excuse me if my table manners are lacking."

"Fine," Neville sighed. "So, we snuck into Gryffindor-"

"He has the passwords on a sheet of paper," Draco interrupted, "can you believe that?"

"Draco!"

Draco was showing the piece of paper to Sirius.

"Sorry, sorry," Draco muttered. "Go on."

"So we went into our – well mine and Ron's - dormitory – Ron is the guy who the rat belongs to, by the way-"

"Oh my god, Neville. Let me finish the story," Draco interrupted again.

"Fine! I'll never finish it anyways if all you two do is interrupt me!"

"So, we went in and the rat was sitting on the bed. Unfortunately, we had also let that fat orange cat in which immediately jumped on the bed and tried to eat the stupid rat! So I sent a stunner the cat's way but it jumped aside so I only hit a pillow and then there were feathers everywhere. The cat had the rat in its mouth and ran around the room-"

"Draco completely destroyed our dorm with those stunners of his!" groaned Neville.

"Well at least I did something! You were just standing around."

"I was trying to stop you from ruining everything!"

"I wasn't ruining anything!"

"Oh yeah? What about me bed? And that cupboard? And-"

"Boys! Boys! Calm down. What happened next?"

"One of my stunners hit the cat and it dropped the rat," Draco said.

"That sounds good," Sirius commented.

"Well," Neville continued, "not so much. The rat then hid in a hole in the wall where we couldn't get it out! And we heard a voice coming so we hid under the beds. Someone came in and noticed how trashed everything was. Whoever it was, he immediately went for a professor and we fled while that person was gone."

"But don't worry," Draco added, "we'll get the rat. We won't give up."

"Thanks guys. I know you tried. And I'm sorry I doubted you, Draco," Sirius said, but it was obvious that he was devastated.

"We'll get him," Neville said. "We'll get him and clear your name."

Neville and Draco snuck back into the castle and parted ways.

It was late at night and Draco was almost back in his dorm, when someone grabbed him by the shoulder and he spun around.

He came face to face with...

"Snape!"

TBC

Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

Draco spun around to come face to face with Snape. Draco immediately knew that Snape was angry – angrier than usual – and that he was in trouble.

"My office. Now," growled Snape.

Draco gulped and followed. This wasn't good. Not good at all.

They did not speak on their way to his office. Snape's stride alone showed how mad he was, and Draco kept his head down.

Once in his office, Snape sat down at his desk and studied Draco for a while.

Draco did not know whether to sit down or not but in the end, he decided to sit down because he didn't trust his knees at the moment. He was a grown up, damn it, he wasn't supposed to be scared of his teacher.

After a long, dreadful silence, Snape began to speak. He was so quiet, which only scared Draco more. How could someone even speak so quietly without whispering?

"What were you doing out of your dormitory this late at night?"

Draco was at a loss – he didn't really have any friends outside of Slytherin so there was really no good reason for him to sneak out.

"Ehm- I met the girl I told you about," he stammered.

Snape did not say anything. He just kept looking at him. He obviously did not believe him. Admittedly, his damp hair and dirty shoes might have given his head of house a hint as to where he had really been.

"Are you sure that is what you have been doing?" he asked again.

"Yes, sir," Draco felt dreadful for lying to him and he knew that Snape did not believe him anyways. But what was he supposed to say? That he had met up with Neville Longbottom and Sirius Black for a midnight chat?

The way his godfather looked at him made him want to confess everything. But he couldn't.

"Tell me Draco, where were you this morning?"

That took Draco off guard. "This- this morning, sir?"

"Don't act stupid. This morning. This morning, when someone broke into the Gryffindor dormitories," Snape specified. Draco gulped, this was the end. "And not just any dormitory, but the one of Mr. Potter. Broke in and destroyed the room. This morning, when you were late for your class with Professor McGonagall. Where were you?"

"It wasn't me!" Draco yelled and jumped up.

"Sit. Back. Down," Snape hissed.

"I'm sorry, sir," Draco muttered and did as he was told. "But it really wasn't me! I swear! How would I even get into Gryffindor?"

Again, Snape remained quiet.

"Please," Draco added, "It wasn't me. You have to believe me."

But by the disappointed look on his godfather's face he could tell that he did not believe him. Draco was not prepared for the next question the professor asked him.

"Did you help Sirius Black into the castle?"

Draco opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"Draco, answer my question," his voice rose.

"No! Of course not!"

"So, your distraction in the Great Hall on the day he attacked the portrait guarding Gryffindor was just a coincidence? And your weird behavior recently? That you are missing while someone breaks into said room? And that you sneak around at night? In the Forbidden Forest no less?"

"Yes! I wouldn't do something like this. I don't like Potter, but I don't want to kill him either," Draco tried to defend himself.

"Draco, you might think that this is a good idea, maybe even the right thing to do. Something that would make your parents proud. But it is not. What you are doing is dangerous. Not just for Potter, but for you as well. Black is a deranged serial killer who has spent over a decade in Azkaban. He is unpredictable. He could kill you. And aiding him might end with Azkaban for you, too."

Draco took a deep, calming breath. "I am not helping Black. I swear."

"Your final word?"

"Yes."

Snape considered him again. It was quite clear he did not believe Draco. And Draco had to admit, the evidence was against him. If he were Snape, he wouldn't believe himself either.

Draco knew that Snape was a good Legilimens. He could see how Snape was thinking about just reading his mind. It was clear through the way he looked that he was just one step away from diving into his mind. Draco wasn't a bad Occlumens but using his abilities would make Snape even more suspicious than he already was and he probably wouldn't be good enough to keep him out anyways. Not stopping him would also be bad. Then he would know everything. About Neville and Black and Astoria and the time travel. Draco was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Snape looked at Draco. Stared him down, even. And then, miraculously, he looked away.

"I would advise you to be careful, Draco. Don't do anything stupid. If you need to talk, you can come to me. I will be watching you. If anything else happens, I will inform the headmaster and your parents. You may leave now."

Draco couldn't believe it. Snape let him leave! And he hadn't read his mind.

"Thank you, sir," he whispered and made his way towards the door.

"And Draco?"

"Yes?"

"You will be serving detention with Filch. Every night from now till Christmas. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Draco left the office as fast as he could.

He had been left off lightly, which was really just because Snape liked him. Or had liked him. He wasn't sure about that anymore. If he believed that Draco was helping the man who killed the woman he loved, then Draco probably wasn't in his godfather's good books anymore.

The mistrust and disappointment from his godfather burned, and punished Draco more than any detention ever could.

So much for improving his relationship with his godfather, was the last thing he thought before he fell into a troubled sleep.

TBC

A.N.: Oh no. It doesn't look good for Draco. How will he be able to help Sirius if Snape is watching his every move and he has detention every night?

Big thanks to all the people who are following, favoriting and reviewing my story. You are the best.


	15. Chapter 15

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

The next day Draco felt horrible. Snape was watching him everywhere he went, and Draco had a hard time living with the disappointment that was radiating off him. Draco couldn't visit Sirius at night and he couldn't talk to Neville about what happened, too scared he would be caught by Snape. And if Snape caught him there was no telling what he might do. The best case scenario was probably suspension, the worst... Azkaban. The only time Snape wasn't watching him was at night, when he had detention. With Filch. He silently did what Filch told him to do, which was mostly scrubbing bedpans – with his hands. No magic.

The day, in one word, sucked. So, it didn't really surprise Draco when he was woken in the middle of the night by noises coming from the common room. He was disoriented in the darkness and quite moody, but he, like many others in his house, made his way towards the commotion.

"What's going on?" Crabbe yawned. "Is Black in the castle again?"

Draco frowned. That was probably exactly what had happened. Damn, he only hoped Snape didn't connect this to him in any way. He had been under surveillance all day so he couldn't have done anything. But then again, it was quite suspicious that Black broke into the castle again the day after Draco had been sneaking around the Forbidden Forest.

In the common room everyone had gathered around Snape, who looked livid. Draco tried to look extra sleepy and confused.

"Sirius Black," Snape started, ignoring several groans from his audience, "has been seen in the castle. You will stay in the common room until the castle has been searched. The prefects will search your rooms." He glanced at Draco and then swiftly left the common room.

"Not again," a sleepy Pansy complained. "I need my beauty sleep."

He could hear Daphne snort beside her. She made her way through the crowd and stopped next to Draco.

"Is it just my imagination or is Snape mad at you?" she whispered.

"Definitely not your imagination," he frowned. "He seems to think that I'm the one letting Black into the castle."

"Wha-," Daphne opened her mouth in shock. "Wait, are you?"

"No," Draco huffed. "Of course not. What kind of idiot do you think I am?"

"Sorry, sorry. It's just, you've been acting a bit strange lately. And you keep disappearing on us."

"Yeah but I'm not working with an insane serial killer! I'm in the library studying. You are welcome to join me anytime you want," Draco defended himself.

Great, so Snape wasn't the only who thought he was assisting a criminal. The day just kept on getting better. Draco was quite glad it was almost over.

They had to stay in the common room till dawn before the search – again fruitless – was over.

oooOOOooo

The next day seemed horribly long to Draco. Snape hadn't said anything, but he was still watching his every move. So, he decided to stay among his fellow Slytherins for the day. He was tired and annoyed. Black's behavior was one of the reasons why he was cranky. Such an idiot. He wished he could meet up with him and give him a piece of his mind. But security around the castle had been tightened. Flitwick taught the front doors to recognize Sirius Black. Filch was patrolling the corridors and boarding up everything. Security trolls had been hired to patrol the castle. The other reason why he was so annoyed was Ron Weasley. He was the talk of the castle and everywhere he went it was either him telling his story, a slightly different version each time he heard it, or people talking about him.

"Have you heard," was the first thing he heard at breakfast from Pansy, "Sirius Black broke into Potter's dorm and tried to kill Weasley with a knife!"

"How did he get in?" asked Crabbe, biting into a piece of French toast.

"Apparently that doofus Longbottom let a list lying around with all the passwords on it."

This made the whole table laugh and Draco wince. It had been his fault Sirius had the list, after all.

"Heard that McGonagall is furious. Gave him detention for the rest of the year, forbid him from going to Hogsmeade ever again and told everyone not to give him the password."

Another round of laughter. Apparently, the whole castle was either laughing at Neville or they were very angry with him.

Great, more guilt, just what he needed, Draco thought glumly. He had to make it up to Neville later.

oooOOOooo

Later that night, he had detention again. Only this time he wasn't alone, there was Neville as well.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing Draco said once they were alone with the cauldrons they had to clean.

"It's okay," Neville said, "It really was stupid to keep a list of the passwords."

Draco felt better immediately. At least one person who wasn't mad at him.

"Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you still think Sirius is innocent?"

"Yes," Draco said, "without a doubt. He is just being an impatient idiot. Not thinking things through... Such a Gryffindor trait," he huffed. "No offense," he added, as an afterthought.

"We should talk to him about it. He can't keep doing things like this!"

"Well, yes. We also need to get the rat. Problem is, Snape caught me yesterday. He thinks I'm helping Black. He has been watching me like a hawk ever since."

"He isn't wrong... We are helping Black. And I thought there was something off about him today. He is quite perceptive."

"Too perceptive," Draco groaned. "What do we do now?"

"I have no idea. Things seem to be getting worse instead of better."

"No kidding."

TBC

A bit of a filler. I had to work today so I couldn't write much.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews. I appreciate every single one of them and they keep me writing and motivated.


	16. Chapter 16

Read, enjoy and review ;)

oooOOOooo

The next day, now two days after Sirius' break in, did not start any better, either: The first thing that happened in the morning was that Neville received the worst thing a Hogwarts student could receive over breakfast - a Howler from his grandmother.

Draco could see Neville holding the envelop before him like a bomb and sprinting out of the Great Hall. The Slytherin table exploded with laughter at the sight of him. They all heard the Howler go off in the entrance hall. Neville's grandmother's voice, magically magnified to a hundred times its usual volume, shrieking about how he had brought shame on the whole family.

Draco would have been amused had he not been so angry at Sirius. His shortsighted behavior had caused them more problems than Draco would like to admit. And he was partly at fault too, for showing him the list Neville had been carrying around.

Draco was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't realize that a young Ravenclaw was suddenly standing next to them.

"Good morning, Astoria," Tracey said good naturedly.

Draco almost spilled his drink when the mentioning of his future wife brought him back to reality.

"Ehm- morning, Astoria," he greeted rather awkwardly.

"Hi, Tory," said Daphne, delighted to see her sister.

"Tomorrow is the Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff match and I was wondering whether you were going?" she asked hopefully.

The snakes all looked at each other.

"Sure," Daphne finally voiced the groups silent decision.

"Cool," Astoria seemed delighted. "Can I join you?"

"Of course," said Nodd and the others nodded their heads, agreeing with him.

"Thanks," she said and was off with a happy bounce in her step.

"I like that little girl," Nodd said, "too bad she isn't a snake."

Draco couldn't help but agree.

oooOOOooo

The thought of spending the next day with Astoria cheered Draco up considerably. Suddenly, the world didn't seem such a dark place anymore and he felt more confident that he would find a way to help Black and find a cure for Astoria.

But when he met Neville in detention that night, his whole plans changed again.

"Tomorrow is the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw match," was the first thing Neville said excitedly when he saw him.

"So I've heard," he said while getting to work on a particularly nasty cauldron.

"That is perfect," Neville continued.

"How so?"

Neville waited for Draco to get it on his own, but he didn't.

"Everyone will be there," Neville finally said. "The whole of Hogwarts. Professors, students,… maybe even Dumbledore. And the weather is supposed to be bad again so there is absolutely no chance anyone would notice if we snuck away for half an hour to talk to Sirius," he finished.

Draco smirked. "Who are you and what have you done to the real Neville?"

"I guess you are having a bad influence on me," Neville said.

Draco snickered. "Depends on how you look at it. Personally, I think I am a mighty good influence."

"So?" Neville asked expectantly, "what do you say?"

"I think this could very well work," but then his face fell, "but I already promised some people to go to the match with them."

Neville thought about this for a second. "If we left really early, before the game even began, we would be back about ten minutes into the game. You could still watch it with them then."

Draco considered this for a while. He really wanted to spend time with Astoria. But he also really needed to talk to Sirius and he would really like to be away from Snape for a while. Astoria and the Slytherins might not even notice he was gone if he really only was 15 minutes late. And Astoria had not asked for him to come but for all of them, so she wouldn't be disappointed if everyone else was still there.

"Fine," he finally agreed. "Let's meet by the pitch 20 minutes before the match."

He just hoped this wouldn't blow up in their faces.

oooOOOooo

The next day he told his housemates that he would meet them by the pitch and that he had something important to do before the match.

"Studying again?" Daphne asked warily.

"No," Draco laughed nervously, "something else."

"But you'll sure be there for the match?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

When he left the common room he saw Snape out of the corner of his eyes and hoped that the man hadn't seen him.

He met Neville by the pitch where the first students were already gathering although it was drizzling.

"Let's hurry," he urged Neville and they were soon halfway in the Forbidden Forest.

"Where do you reckon he is?" Neville asked.

"Probably close to the Shrieking Shack," he answered, and Neville gulped.

"Sure, why use a friendly place when you have the most hunted house in Great Britain at your disposal?"

"Don't always be so negative," Draco chided.

"Don't be so negative? How can you be so positive? Literally everything we did so far went wrong!" Neville defended himself.

"Not everything. We got what we wanted from Snape and we didn't get caught breaking into Gryffindor tower," Draco mused, and Neville just stared at him which served to amuse Draco.

"Sirius!" they started to call. "Get your ass here, mutt," added Draco, which Neville gave him a stern look for.

"What? We are mad at him," Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"Sirius!" Neville decided to ignore Draco.

"Sirius!"

They heard something in the bushes behind them and suddenly a black dog appeared in front of them.

"Oh my god," Neville yelped, "You scared me!"

The dog turned into Sirius Black. "Hey guys," he said with a smile, "Long time no see. I started to-"

Draco just prepared to give him a piece of his mind when suddenly Neville started yelling.

"How could you?" Neville shouted. "How could you be such an inconsiderate imbecile and use MY passwords to get into Gryffindor? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble we got into because of you?"

"Ehm-"

"And it isn't gonna make our job of catching that rat any easier! Do you have any idea what security measures they are using now?"

"Wow, Neville, calm down buddy," Sirius tried.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

Draco whistled. "Wow, didn't know you had it in you," Draco praised Neville. "But yeah, Neville's right. Your little stunt meant a ton of trouble for us."

"What's a few problems compared to years spent in Azkaban?"

"Just because something bad happened to you doesn't make what's happening to us ok," Neville said evenly, having calmed down somewhat.

"I'm sorry, guys. What happened?"

"Everyone hates me now! Even my own grandmother is mad at me," Neville started.

"And Professor Snape thinks I'm-"

"Wait," Sirius interrupted him, "Professor Snape? Snape as in Severus Snape?"

"Yeah but that's not the point. He thinks I'm helping you and now he's watching me like a hawk and I can't do anything anymore!"

Sirius seemed to ponder this when he suddenly glanced into the distance. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" whispered Neville.

"There's someone in the b-"

Before Sirius could finish his sentence, Draco had already sent a stunner into the bushes and started running towards them.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

 _"_ _Yeah but that's not the point. He thinks I'm helping you and now he's watching me like a hawk and I can't do anything anymore!"_

 _Sirius seemed to ponder this when he suddenly glanced into the distance. "Did you hear that?"_

 _"_ _What?" whispered Neville._

 _"_ _There's someone in the b-"_

 _Before Sirius could finish his sentence, Draco had already sent a stunner into the bushes and started running towards them._

While running, Draco sincerely hoped that it was just a deer or some such thing. But as usual, he wasn't that lucky.

On the ground, stunned, was Daphne. Next to her was her sister Astoria, who squeaked when she saw him. She looked from her sister to the running Draco and back to her sister. It was obvious that she was thinking about running away but also didn't want to leave her sister behind. Finally, she decided to stay by her sister's side. Knowing that his future wife was both brave and loyal made Draco immensely proud. She raised her wand and pointed it at Draco, her hand shaking.

"Astoria," Draco panted.

"Go away!" she yelled.

"Or what? Are you gonna Lumos me? Or use Wingardium Leviosa?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Ehm-"

"I'm not going to hurt you or your sister, promise," he made a few steps towards her.

"Do you think I'm stupid? I know who this is," she motioned her head towards Sirius. "I thought you were a good guy, but apparently everything they've been saying about Slytherins is true."

"I… I know how this looks but there is a simple explanation for all of this, I swear. Just, please, listen to me. I won't harm you. See," he turned towards Daphne, "Rennervate."

Daphne's eyes flattered open and searched for Astoria. Once she was sure her sister was alright, she got up and stalked towards Draco.

"You! You disgusting piece of-"

"Daphne, let me explain," he backed away.

"So Snape was right. You are helping him! How could you? I know you don't like Potter, but this? This is murder!"

"Daphne-"

"And Longbottom? Are you corrupting Gryffindors too, now?"

"Daphne!" Draco yelled. "Listen to me. It is not what it looks like. Sirius is innocent. No one hear wants to harm anyone. None of us is attacking you or your sister."

She didn't look convinced.

"You two can leave anytime you want. We won't stop you. But please listen to me first. Then you can go ahead and tell Snape or Dumbledore or whoever you see fit. But please listen to me first. Please."

"Let's hear him out, Daphne," whispered Astoria. "He hasn't hurt as so far and neither have the other two." She was now standing beside her sister, almost hiding behind her.

Daphne looked between her sister and the three guys and back.

"Hrmph… All right. Talk. And I hope for your sake that is this the freakin' best story I've ever heard because that's what it is gonna take for me to believe you and look over the fact that you stunned me and that I landed in the mud!"

Neville tentatively moved next to Draco while he was telling their story. Sirius stayed as far back as he could.

"So uhm- where to begin," Draco had to think quick. He couldn't tell her why he was hanging around the Forbidden Forest with Neville Longbottom of all people. "Neville and I were serving detention, about a week ago," yeah, that sounded believable, "and while in the forest we found him," he motioned into the general direction of Sirius. "At first, we did not believe him either, but his story convinced us to trust him. Damn, the story is so good it made a Gryffindor and a Slytherin work together, can you believe that? He is innocent. Sirius Black is innocent. He didn't kill anyone. Peter Pettigrew did, the guy who supposedly died through Black's hand. But he is still alive. He faked his own death and framed Sirius for it. He's been alive this whole time."

He looked expectantly at Daphne and Astoria.

Astoria had her eyebrows raised and Daphne did not look convinced either.

"There are a whole lot of holes in your story and you know it," Daphne finally said, defensively.

"Yeah," Astoria agreed silently. "How would Pettigrew have done this? And why did Black break into Gryffindor and why has he tried to kill Potter?"

"He didn't. He wasn't at Potter's bed, was he?"

"He tried to kill Weasley?" Daphne asked.

"Ehm, no. I did not try to kill anyone," this was the first time Sirius spoke and Daphne and Astoria immediately took a step back. "He is an Animagus, you know?"

"What's an Animagus?" Astoria asked.

"People who can turn into animals," Daphne said, having paid attention during Snape's lesson.

"Like Professor McGonagall?" she whispered.

Neville nodded his head.

"Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter - Harry Potter's father – and I… we were best friends in school," Sirius went on.

"Professor Lupin?" Daphne interrupted?

"He is a professor now?" Sirius asked delighted. "I guess so. He's always been smart. Well, we were best friends, the four of us. And we all learned how to become Animagi. Peter can turn into a rat and I can turn into a dog. Quite impressive, isn't it?"

Daphne shrugged her shoulders, still not willing to believe him.

"How is any of this relevant?" asked Astoria.

"Oh, it is relevant, believe me. After I supposedly blew up Pettigrew and all these muggles – which I didn't – you know what the only piece of Pettigrew was, that they found?"

Silence.

"His finger. They only found Pettigrew's finger. He cut it off to fake his own death. He turned into his rat form and has stayed in it – hidden – ever since."

"A rat with one finger missing?" Daphne mused, and Draco knew that she was on the right track. If she drew the conclusions herself, they might stand a chance. "Doesn't Weasley's disgusting little rodent have one finger missing? As if it wasn't revolting enough already," she wrinkled her nose.

"Yes," Sirius jumped up. "Yes! It is him. His rat is Pettigrew. Has been for the last thirteen years. This is why I've broken into Gryffindor. To get the rat. Not Harry or this Weasley, but his rat."

"Think about it," added Neville, for the first time talking, "he was already in our dorm with a knife. If he had wanted to, he could have easily killed all of us in our sleep. But he didn't. He didn't because he isn't a cold-blooded killer."

"So you really believe this, too?" Daphne inquired.

"Yes," answered Neville.

"But why now? Why not thirteen years ago?"

Sirius pulled a piece of paper out of his torn pants. "This is why."

It was one page of an older edition of the Daily Prophet. "MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE" it read.

"That's the Weasleys," Daphne whispered, inspecting the picture next to the article.

"And there is the rat," Astoria stepped forward from behind Daphne. Draco took that as a good sign.

"And it is really missing a finger," she mused.

"Do you believe us now?" Draco asked hopefully.

The siblings looked at each other.

"Can you turn into a dog?" Astoria finally asked. "I think if I see that, I might believe you."

"My pleasure," said Sirius turning into a huge black dog.

Astoria looked delighted. Daphne still looked skeptical.

"That is awesome. Can you teach me how to do that, too?" Astoria asked.

"Sure," Sirius said once turned back into his human form.

"Well," Daphne said, "you look pretty disgusting. But your story makes sense, I think. And you got Astoria convinced so I'm willing to stay quiet about this for a while. But I'll be watching you. Both of you, she pointed her finger at Draco and Neville.

"Oh, you should have seen him when we first found him. Quite a revolting view, really. But it's already a bit better. We fed him." He looked at Sirius. He was really looking a lot better now. He had eaten some real food and there was hope in his eyes, something that Draco hadn't seen when he first found him.

Daphne wrinkled her nose and pointed her wand at Sirius. "Scourgify."

"Seriously?" Sirius yelled as suddenly he was covered in soap.

"Aqua Eructo. Siccumenti," She added. One spell flushed the soap away, the other dried Sirius.

"Better," said Daphne, happy with her work. "He'll still need new clothes though. It must be cold out here in the Forest. And he'll need to shave. And don't even get me started on his hair..."

Draco chuckled.

"So, what is the plan guys?"

"You are willing to help us?" Sirius asked.

The sisters looked at each other and then nodded.

"Excellent. We don't really have a plan, though. I mean, besides catch the rat."

"Aww come on guys, I'm sure between the five of us we can come up with a plan that will put your feeble attempts to shame."

And that they did.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

As always, read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

At first, Draco had been scared that the whole incident would threaten his relationship with Daphne and Astoria. But he needn't have worried. If anything, all of them – Draco, Astoria, Daphne and Neville – were closer than ever. What a shared secret could do for relationships, Draco mused. He had been surprised that the girls, Daphne especially, had welcomed Neville into their group. Apparently, he hadn't given his fellow Slytherin enough credit.

They spent a lot of time plotting and planning together and would take turns visiting Sirius and bringing him food. Daphne had even organized him some nice and warm winter clothes.

Their plans were coming along nicely, and it looked like they would be able to catch the rat in January. With Neville's insider knowledge on Gryffindor, Astoria's brain, Draco's and Daphne's cunning and Sirius magical knowledge and prank experience they had come up with the perfect plan and now all it took was some preparation.

That there were now four of them and that they had a solid plan, made life a lot easier for Draco. This way it didn't matter so much that Snape was watching him all the time. Unsurprisingly, Snape had noticed Draco's absence from the Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff match. But when he saw Draco with Daphne and Astoria after the match he hadn't said anything. Maybe he thought that Draco had been standing with the Ravenclaws and that was why he hadn't seen him. Or maybe he thought that whatever they did, if the two girls were with him, it probably wasn't anything to worry about. Oh, how wrong he was.

All in all, he was quite glad that the girls had come looking for him that day.

All things considered, Draco was quite happy with how things were going. But he also worried about the holidays. It was a time meant to celebrate family, friendship and love and would only remind him of what he had lost. At night he often dreamed of Astoria and Scorpius and the grief and doubt would keep him up. Then he would look at his time turner, which he had buried deep inside his trunk and had put quite a few charms on, and considerd going back to his own time. But, he reminded himself, he was doing a lot of good and if something went wrong he could still always use it to reset the whole time stream.

The last weekend in school ended with a trip to Hogsmeade, which Draco used to buy presents for everyone. His parents, of course, and something for everyone in his year in Slytherin. This was pretty much what he had done the first time around, too. But this time he also bought something for Longbottom and of course, Astoria. He also bought a few things for the Weasley twins. Not for Christmas though. And they probably wouldn't like it too much, either. Draco chuckled. The start of the semester would be the perfect time for his revenge. They probably wouldn't be as cautious as they had been so far anymore either as they wouldn't be expecting something anymore.

He bought something for Snape, too. Hopefully he would take it as the peace offering it was and not as a poor attempt at bribery.

And he bought something for Sirius. Mostly food, though. Food and clothes were the only things the man needed right now.

The good byes were tough. But Draco was looking forward to spending some time with his parents. A younger and happier version of them. Although they had not been prosecuted – Draco had to admit, although begrudgingly, that this was thanks to Harry Potter – they had never gotten over everything that happened. But maybe this time that could be different, too.

"It's gonna be quite boring here, without you guys," sighed Sirius when they all said their good byes.

"We'll be back in two weeks," Neville reassured him. "You'll be fine. Here, I have something for you." He reached into his bag and pulled out a colorfully wrapped parcel.

The others followed suit and everyone gave Sirius his Christmas gifts, which almost brought him to tears. Especially because he did not get anything for them.

"It's fine. You can thank us when we have cleared your name," Daphne assured him.

"Merry Christmas," Astoria said and gave him a hug.

Daphne shook his hand, but Draco and Neville were almost crushed in the bear hug Sirius gave them, which was surprisingly strong for such a small, narrow man.

"Thank you for everything, guys," he whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you. You give me hope, something I haven't had for a very long time now. Thank you and merry Christmas."

After that, everything happened quite fast. They boarded the Hogwarts Express back to London. Draco sat with Pansy, Daphne, Nott, Crabbe and Goyle. He enjoyed the light-hearted conversations he could have with them. Everything else in his life always seemed so serious and important, so it was a nice change to just talk about unimportant stuff like holiday plans and Quidditch.

He hugged his parents at the train station and soon he was back home, a place which reminded him of a lot of positive and negative things. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to forget about the time Voldemort had taken over his home and used it to torture and kill people. What an idiot Draco had been to willingly join that sociopath.

He opened the door to his bedroom, when he saw _it_. He dropped his trunk instantly.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he almost yelled, but could keep it down enough to not alarm his parents.

On his bed sat a huge, black dog.

TBC

Oh Sirius. What are you up to, now? Seems like Draco can't get a break. What do you guys think will happen next? And did you like this chapter? Let me know in a review :)


	19. Chapter 19

Thanks to everyone who has read, favorited, followed or even reviewed my story. You guys are what keeps me going.

As always: read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

 _He opened the door to his bedroom, when he saw it. He dropped his trunk._

 _"_ _What the hell are you doing here?" he almost yelled but could keep it down enough to not alarm his parents._

 _On his bed sat a huge, black dog._

"You are," Draco continued, closing the door behind him, "without a doubt," he locked the door and turned around to face Sirius, "the biggest idiot I have ever met."

Sirius turned into his human form.

"Oh come on," he whined, "what am I supposed to do all alone in the Forbidden Forest for two weeks? Contemplate how sad and miserable my life is? No thanks. And by the way, you are still pretty young, I'm sure you'll meet bigger idiots."

Draco was quite sure that he wouldn't.

"What if my parents find you? Have you even thought this through?" he asked, still shocked. He used his wand to cast a privacy charm. It wouldn't do for his parents to hear him talking to Sirius.

"It was more of a spontaneous decision, really," he admitted.

"How did you even get here?"

"Jumped on the train in my dog form," he shrugged his shoulders, "does it really matter?"

"No. You can't stay here!"

"Why not? Christmas is the time of the year where you are supposed to be there for your family. I am family. You said so yourself."

"Really? First you don't trust me at all and now you want to spend two whole weeks with me and my family?" Draco asked.

"Well, you are a Slytherin," he said as if it would explain everything.

"So what? Pettigrew was a Gryffindor. Does that mean all Gryffindors are treacherous rats? Besides, if you don't like Slytherins, you are definitely in the wrong house, hypocritical bastard," Draco was really having enough of Sirius' dislike of Slytherin. Two out of four people helping him were in Slytherin. It was time he got over that.

Sirius' face fell. "You are right. Everything you say makes perfect sense. It's just… after being alone for nearly 13 years and then meeting you guys and finally having friends and hope again… I just really didn't want to spend Christmas alone."

Draco's anger vanished immediately. "I'm sorry," he muttered. He knew how sad christmas could be if you couldn't spend it with the people you love. The first Christmas without Astoria had been a nightmare. "I guess you can stay in my room. You'll have to sleep on the floor in your dog form, though. And hide under the bed if someone comes in."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Sirius tried to hug Draco again, but he stepped aside.

"So, what do you want to do now? My parents will probably leave me alone till dinner. To unpack," Draco rolled his eyes. As if he ever really unpacked. He left everything in his trunk and only took out what he needed.

"I don't know. Can you tell me about what happened after I got arrested? The people mostly - I know most of the facts. Cissy, your mother, what did she do? What happened to Neville's parents? How is Harry?"

Draco started to tell him the basics. How his father evaded Azkaban after the War - there was no use denying that he had been one of them, they both knew. What his cousin had done to the poor Longbottoms and how he and Neville were trying to find a cure. Talking about all the misery his family had caused made his skin crawl. Especially when he thought about how he had always thought their actions to be just when he was younger.

"Harry is in Gryffindor and we are not exactly friends, so I don't know how much I can tell you about him."

"That's okay. How is he in school? Does he have friends? What kind of person is he?"

Draco pondered his questions for a bit. "He is a good guy. Great Quidditch player. He's seeker. Got on the team in his first year."

"Ah, he is just like James."

"He has a few friends. Ron Weasley, the guy with the rat, and Hermione Granger. She's a m-muggleborn but the best witch in our year. Neville's friends with them too, so you should probably ask him those questions. He's mediocre in school. Has issues with Snape. He always says Harry is like his father. I guess you would take it as a compliment, but he doesn't mean it as one…"

"Tzz," Sirius huffed, "How did old Snivellus become a professor, anyways? Poor kids."

"Hey! He is my godfather and I won't let you talk about him like this."

"I'm sure he is a Death Eater!" Sirius bellowed.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Says the guy who spent a decade in Azkaban for being one. Dumbledore thinks he's alright and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't hire anyone who would harm the students."

"Oh, I'm sure this is all just an act. The greasy git would betray our side in a heartbeat if it worked to his advantage."

"Stop it! You don't even know him!"

"I know enough!"

"Right," Draco spat, "because you are such a wonderful judge of character when it comes to who is good and who's not."

A flash of pain flickered across Sirius' face.

"I-I'm sorry," Draco said, regretting his words immediately.

"He really doesn't deserve your kindness, you know?" Sirius said, but most of his anger had left him.

"He really doesn't deserve your hatred. He saved Harry's life a few times already. Would a Death Eater do that?" Draco explained, calmly.

"Saved his life? Why would he even need to save his life?"

"Ehm, there was a teacher who wanted to kill him. Long story," Draco muttered, quickly summarizing the most important details.

"Snape saved Harry? And I am working together with a Slytherin. What a weird world this is."

"Sirius, I am really sorry about what I said earlier. But if you want to stay here, you have to accept that you can't insult the people I care about. It doesn't matter who they are or what they did in the past. As long as you stay here you will not insult Snape, my family or Slytherin! Have I made myself clear?"

Sirius just bobbed his head.

"How is Remus as a professor? What does he teach?" he finally tried to change the subject.

"Professor Lupin? DADA. So he will probably only stay for a year. Never had a DADA professor for longer than that. He's good though. Knows what he's doing. Seems to enjoy it, too."

"Hmm… Could I send him a letter, maybe? Let him know that I'm innocent."

Draco frowned. "I'm not sure this is a good idea. Snape already thinks he is helping you. If he finds that letter…"

Sirius made a face at the mention of Snape but didn't say anything. "He won't. We can charm the letter so only he can read it."

They argued about this a little longer but in the end, Draco agreed to send Lupin a letter.

"Dear Moony," Sirius dictated.

"Moony?" Draco asked but still wrote it down.

"It's a nickname," he said. As Draco already knew Lupin's secret, he found it was quite an obvious one. A miracle, really, that no one had ever found out about it.

"Dear Moony, I am innocent. Merry Christmas, Padfoot."

"Another nickname?" Draco asked and rolled his eyes. "Is that all you want to say?"

"Oh, what I want to say would fill a thousand letters. But this will do for now. Come January he will know that I am innocent. Everyone will know then."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Hide," whispered Draco and motioned Sirius under his bed. He grabbed the letter and hid it under his pillow and then grabbed his wand to end the privacy charm.

"Yes?" Draco called.

"Draco, darling," it was his mother, "may I come in."

Draco checked one last time whether he could tell Sirius was in his room. When he was sufficiently convinced that he could not been seen, he said, "Sure. Come in."

His mother entered and sat down on Draco's bed.

"How are you, Draco? How are things in school?"

"Rather good. My grades are better than ever. I did pretty well in the last Quidditch match. I'm getting along with my housemates. I think I might even have found some friends outside of Slytherin."

His mother frowned but did not comment on this last piece of information. "But do you feel save? I heard what happened. I heard that Sirius Black" at this Draco coughed, he really hoped she did not say that because she was on to them or because Snape had told her, "has been seen around Hogwarts and that he has broken in already. I heard about the Dementors, too. And that they attacked you while you were flying."

She sounded very worried.

"I'm okay, mother. No need to worry. I broke my arm, but it's all healed now." He showed her his arms. "I don't think Black would attack me, anyways. He is after Potter, right?"

"Right," his mother repeated but did not sound convinced. "But if he got his own best friend killed, I am not sure whether sides will stop him from harming someone. Especially if it would help him get what he wants."

"Mother?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think he really did it? That Sirius Black really was a Death Eater and killed all those muggles?"

Narcissa sighed. "If they had a trial and found him guilty then he probably was guilty."

"But I've heard that there never was a trial," Draco ventured.

"What?" she thought about this for a while. "He was heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black! That is an outrage! I never understood why Sirius would be so strongly against the cause right up until the moment…"

"So you think he might have been innocent?"

"I don't know. It all seemed rather unlikely…" now she seemed to be talking to herself. "But he never was properly disowned, so... although he probably thought he was." Narcissa looked conflicted. After a while, she turned her attention back to Draco. "I just don't know. He was very open about despising the way we think, even from a young age on. That could not have been an act. If an eight year old says something like that, he means it... And he was such good friends with James Potter," at that name, she wrinkled her nose, "unruly kids, they were. But he was always so loyal. I was quite fond of him when I was young, but he didn't get along with Lucius… and after being sorted into Gryffindor..."

"So you don't think he did it?"

His mother pondered the question for a few minutes. "Draco, honey, I just don't know. I couldn't believe it when I first heard about it. It just made no sense. But by then I haven't talked to him in a few years and there were eye witnesses. And if he were innocent, why wouldn't he tell someone?" Narcissa sighed.

She left the room, deep in thought.

"Aww Cissy," was what Draco could hear coming from under his bed.

"You might not be as alone as you thought you were," Draco mused.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

_"_ _I've got a job to do," said Draco._

 _"_ _Well, then, you must go on and do it, my dear boy," said Dumbledore softly._

 _But Draco couldn't move._

 _"_ _Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."_

 _"_ _How do you know?" he asked at once. "You don't know what I've done!"_

 _"_ _Oh yes, I do," Dumbledore said mildly and continued to list all of Draco's wrongdoings. And then he tried to distract Draco. Asking him all kinds of questions._

 _"_ _There is little time, one way or another," said Dumbledore. "So let us discuss your options, Draco."_

 _"_ _I haven't got any options!" he said, "I've got to do it! He'll kill me. He'll kill my whole family!"_

 _"_ _I can help you, Draco."_

 _"_ _No, you can't. Nobody can. He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I've got no choice."_

 _"_ _Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her like-wise. Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban… When the time comes, we can protect him too. Come over to the right side, Draco… you are not a killer…"_

 _Then the Death Eaters came. All of them. Even Fenrir Greyback, who he hadn't wanted anywhere near his friends._

 _And then Snape._

 _And Dumbledore whispered, "_ _Severus…" begged, really, "Severus… please."_

 _"_ _Avada K-"_

"Ahhh," Draco screamed and sat up straight. He was shacking all over, his heart was racing and tears were streaming down his face.

A soft nose poked him and a soft, wet tongue licked his face. He dug his fingers into the black fur and hugged the dog until he stopped shaking so bad. It was quite comforting.

Once he calmed down he realized that the dog was actually a grown up man his bed so he kicked the dog off the bed. "What are you doing," he asked.

On the floor, Sirius turned back into his human form. "You had a nightmare, a pretty bad one, and when one has nightmares there is nothing better than a dog. Trust me on this one."

"Thanks," Draco muttered and pulled his blanket over his head.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Leave me alone," his muffled voice could be heard from under the blanket.

"You don't sound fine and that was a pretty intense nightmare for someone who hasn't been through a war or spent years in Azkaban."

But Draco didn't answer so Sirius decided to leave him be for now.

oooOOOooo

To Draco's surprise, having Sirius around worked out quite well. They did not get caught and more often than not, Draco would have fun with his roommate, which might have been due to the fact that Sirius was still half a child and Draco himself was half a grown up.

After every meal he would bring Sirius something to eat. They would talk and play all sorts of games. Draco helped Sirius organize a present for Potter – a Firebolt – although he knew it would most likely be confiscated.

There were also days on which Draco had to leave Sirius alone all day, when his family visited relatives or friends, or someone came to visit them.

But during the second week, Sirius grew restless and irritated.

"I want to go outside," he would say every few hours.

"No," was Draco's answer every time. "What if someone sees you?"

"I could run around as a dog," he said. "No one would know."

"No."

"But I'm getting cabin fever in here."

"No."

"Ok. Fair enough."

He stayed silent for a few minutes.

"You are going to Diagon Alley tomorrow, right? With your parents?"

"Yes," he didn't like where this was heading.

"I have an idea."

Oh, he didn't like where this was heading at all.

oooOOOooo

In Diagon Alley he met Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, Astoria and Daphne.

"Hey guys, merry Christmas,"

"Merry Christmas, Draco, and thank you for the present," they exchanged small talk for a while.

"Can you believe it? There is a stray dog," he emphasized the dog and looked meaningfully at the Greengrass sisters, "running around at home. He just won't leave."

The sisters wore matching shocked expressions.

"Weird," Goyle just huffed.

"Hey Goyle?"

"Yeah?"

"You got something in your hair."

"Ahh, is it a spider? Take it off, take it off!"

"Shh, hold still," he reached toward his head.

"Ouch," Goyle yelled.

"Got it," Draco said.

"I think you got some of my hair, too," he complained.

"Oh really? Sorry," he muttered. "Let's go shopping, that's what we're here for, right?"

They went to several shops and Draco bought quite a few potions, clothes, candy and a new broom – the next Quidditch match was not far away and the school brooms were so horrible Draco could not fathom why they gave them to people who couldn't fly. Those brooms made learning how to fly harder than it had to be.

The day in Diagon Alley was quite fun. They even saw Neville and Draco and the sisters waved to him when the others weren't watching.

oooOOOooo

Back home in the early afternoon he asked his parents whether one of his friends could visit them.

"Sure," his father had said, and Draco quickly made his way back into his room.

"You are back," Sirius exclaimed excitedly. "How did it go?"

"I got the hair and the potion and my parents said yes. I'm still not sure, however, if that is really such a good plan."

"Aww, where is your sense for adventure?"

"I don't have one. I'm a Slytherin, we value self-preservation. Something you are obviously lacking. It's a wonder you're still alive."

Sirius made his way over to Draco, choosing not to comment. "Let's do it!"

Reluctantly, Draco handed over the potion and the hair. Sirius put the hair into the potion and wrinkled his nose as if he already knew it would taste disgusting. This made Draco think that he might have used this particular potion a few times already. Sirius held his breath and chucked it down.

Immediately, he doubled over and clutched his stomach, dropping the vial. Gasping, he went to all fours and before Draco's eyes he started to transform into Gregory Goyle.

"Wow," Draco whispered, poking the newly transformed Sirius with his index finger. "That's amazing!"

Sirius examined himself in the mirror. "Couldn't you have picked a more attractive friend?"

"Between Crabbe and Goyle? Believe me, you already are the better looking one."

Sirius frowned. "What do I need to know about this guy?" he asked while changing into some of Draco's clothes. They were a bit too small but nothing too obvious.

"Hmm," Draco thought about this. "Your name is Gregory Goyle. We've been friends for years. He is pretty stupid… Scratch that, very stupid. He isn't very nice, either. Very typically pureblood…"

"Wow," Sirius muttered, "Anything nice to say about him? Why are you two even friends?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "He is very loyal and a good friend and… I used to be like that, too. Thought I was better than everyone else because of the family I was born into… I am not proud of that and I have changed my mind."

Sirius didn't say anything.

"You know, people can change their minds. And they deserve to be given a second chance."

"Maybe you are right," Sirius pondered. "Anyways, enough seriousness for one day. Let's have some fun. How much time do I have?"

"About 6 hours, the shopkeeper said."

Sirius' eyes twinkled, "Let's go," and he left the room.

Draco trotted after him. "Mother! Father? Goyle is here."

Lucky for him they were both busy and did not care much.

Sirius acted like a little child, which amused Draco. They grilled marshmallows in the fireplace and had a huge snowball fight. Then they played Quidditch.

Draco had never seen Sirius so happy.

When they came back into the house the house elves had made them some hot chocolate and they drank it in the living room, happily chatting about Merlin knew what.

"Draco, Gregory," Lucius Malfoy entered the room. "We have a guest."

Draco turned his head and wasn't even surprised. He hadn't been lucky this year so seeing the one person he did not want to have in one room with Sirius Black felt almost logical.

"Good evening, Professor Snape."

TBC

20 chapters - I am quite proud of myself^^ Big thanks to everyone who is reading my story :) I'm quite busy at university and I'm sick as well but that won't keep me from uploading a chapter every day all through November :)


	21. Chapter 21

"Good evening, Professor Snape," said Draco.

"Draco," Snape nodded his head, "Mr. Goyle."

When Sirius didn't say anything, Draco poked him with his elbow.

"Sir," he squeaked.

"Should we leave the room, father," asked Draco, sincerely hoping that they could.

"No need," said Snape, "I won't stay long. I just came to wish you merry Christmas," he exchanged presents with his father and also had something for Draco.

Narcissa stepped into the room. "Severus," she sounded delighted. "Merry Christmas," she gave him a hug which looked quite awkward on his part. "Why don't you stay and have tea with us?"

Great, Draco thought. Now they were all sitting around, teas in hands.

"I hear you have new colleagues this year, Severus," Lucius asked, amused.

Snape scowled. "Sadly, Hogwarts standards are slipping significantly by the year."

"No doubt the children will be subject to all sorts of monsters."

Draco had to give it to Snape, he didn't even blink. "Oh, you mean Care of Magical Creatures? I suppose he has had quite a lot of experience, but I do hope Albus checks the… scale of creatures."

"Oh, I heard we'll be covering dragons at one point," Draco said excitedly.

Severus looked worried. "You are taking Care of Magical Creatures, Draco?" he sounded surprised.

Draco glanced to his parents. His mother looked smug, his father rather unhappy. Draco wouldn't have taken CoMC if his mother hadn't put her foot down.

"The oaf Hagrid must have friends in high places."

"Hey-" Sirius started but Draco stomped on his foot and coughed to cover the beginnings of Sirius' outburst up.

"He is quite alright," Draco said. "Better than expected. None of us have died yet," he chuckled.

"His knowledge on magical creatures is outstanding," Snape agreed.

"He also introduces us to all kinds creatures, not just nice and Light ones," Draco added. Trying to defend Hagrid, please his parents, not anger Sirius and keep Snape from becoming suspicious was taxing.

"What about Defense? Don't you have a new teacher there, too?" Narcissa asked.

Draco could feel Sirius and Snape grow tense.

"Yes," Snape drawled.

"Ah, Lupin. Wasn't he friends with Black?" Lucius mused.

"Yes," Snape said curtly.

"And Potter, too. Black used to follow him around everywhere. Talked about nothing else, too... Don't you think it is weird that he turned on them," Narcissa asked and Draco took in a sharp breath.

"It seemed rather unlikely that he would join the Dark Lord without any of us noticing. And betraying his best friend... He also was Dumbledore's lapdog. But I guess he always had a Dark supposition… even in school."

"Wasn't he in your year at Hogwarts?" Lucius asked.

Draco dug his nails into Sirius' arm to keep him from commenting.

"I do believe so, yes," Snape said.

Draco gulped. He took a sip from his tea to cover his face.

"Yes. Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew were in my year. They were best friends. Terrorized the whole school," he muttered.

Draco dug his nail deeper into Sirius' flesh but it was no use.

"I'm sure they had their reasons," he scoffed.

Snape gave him an odd look that Draco couldn't quite place.

"Not any that would make sense to anyone but them. They would attack any student whose views differed from their own. Never worrying about consequences, not even if those were potential death."

"Well maybe those v- Ahh!"

Draco had coughed and spilled some of his tea in Sirius' lap.

"Oh, Draco," Narcissa yelled.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Let's get you into the bathroom and I'll organize some clothes for you to change."

He grabbed Sirius by the arm and dragged him out.

"I'm starting to believe the reason why you weren't sorted into Slytherin was because you completely lack the ability to be subtle. Can you at least try not to make my life any more difficult than it already is?" he asked once they had left the room.

"Oh that evil, sl-"

"Sirius!"

"What? Did you hear what he said?"

"I heard that he also found it strange that you would turn on Potter. That's good! It means when the time comes we might be able to convince him of your side of the story!"

Sirius stared at him. He was prepared for a long rant, but Draco's statement seemed to have caught him of guard.

"He- You think so?"

Draco nodded. Maybe distraction was the only way to deal with Sirius' outbursts.

"Oh man, your hair is turning black again!"

"What?" he reached for his hair. "The potion is wearing off?" he sounded rather sad.

"Probably. Oh, someone's coming!"

"Quick, hide in the bathroom," Draco pushed Sirius who almost looked like himself again into the bathroom. "Stay in there," he whispered.

"Draco," it was Snape.

"Yes," he swirled around.

"Is everything alright?" he inquired.

"Everything is fine," Draco mumbled. He knew that lies wouldn't get him any further. He really hoped he didn't have to lie to his godfather much longer. He always knew when someone lied and Draco didn't like that it made their relationship worse instead of better. "I know you think I am up to something... and you are right. But I really can't tell you and I know you could easily read my mind if you wanted to but I would appreciate it if you just believed me when I told you that it is not what you think it is and that it is nothing bad."

Snape gave him a calculating look. "Alright," he finally said. "But be careful. Merry Christmas, Draco."

"Merry Christmas."

Then Snape left and Draco let out a sigh of relief. That bought him some time. Not much and he was sure if Snape got any more reason to suspect him, he would act on it, but for now he was safe.

Later that day, Sirius was lying on Draco's bed while he was sitting in a chair reading.

"Draco?"

"Hum?"

"Thanks for today."

"You're welcome," Draco said absent mindedly.

"No, really. This has been the best day I had in decades. Ever since… well, you know."

Draco looked up from his book. "I'm glad you had fun."

"I know I am not making things easy for you, but I am trying. I'm sorry if I insulted you or anyone you care about. I really do appreciate what you have done for me. From believing in me to helping me to letting me stay in your home. This is more than I could ever have hoped for. Before you found me, I was alone, miserable, cold and hungry. Driven mad by thoughts of revenge. But now I have hope and it is all thanks to you and your friends."

Draco flashed him a warm smile. "I'm glad we found you that day. And don't worry about it. I know how hard it can be to let go of a grudge."

For all the trouble he had caused, Draco really was glad he had found Black. Helping him took his mind off things and made him feel useful. It also showed him how working for the Light side felt and he found that he quite liked that. The feeling of doing something good and the people he met on his path made it worth the struggle. As a Death Eater he had been full of hate and he could never trust anyone. His sixth year had almost killed him. He wasn't a killer. He had learnt that on the Astronomy tower. And he didn't like to see people suffer. Being a Death Eater had never made anyone happy.

Besides Snape, there weren't any Death Eaters who could cast the Patronus charm. It was sad, really. It told Draco everything about Death Eaters that he needed to know. None of them were ever really, truly happy.

But thinking about his life – the one he had right now – he was rather happy. He had more meaningful relationships than the first time around and he felt like he was making the world a better place. He also felt like he could finally atone for his sins. In time, he would be reunited with Astoria and Scorpius and he would be able to provide them with a better life.

That night, he fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Draco was glad to be back at Hogwarts where he did not need to worry about anyone finding an escaped prisoner and alleged serial killer in his room. He had enjoyed spending the holidays with his parents and he had fun having Sirius around, but he also felt like he always had to be on guard and if he weren't he would end up in Azkaban. Being back at school he thought he might finally be able to relax somewhat. But he soon realized that this semester would not be any less exhausting than the last.

Right in his second week back at school the Slytherin Quidditch team had its second match. Slytherin versus Ravenclaw. Draco really started to hate the Dementors. They did not attack again, but he was quite certain they were responsible for the horrible weather this year. And playing in the rain was just not fun. And it was dangerous, too. But he didn't complain, as Slytherin won their second game as well.

Soon after that, they had another Hogsmeade weekend. Draco and everyone else who knew about Sirius decided to skip Hogsmeade and use the chance to hold one last meeting to discuss their plan to free Sirius.

On his way back from the meeting, Draco and Daphne heard Snape talking to someone. Fearing another unpleasant encounter, they decided to split up and take another route back to their dorm. He walked by a statue of a one-eyed witch, when suddenly Harry Potter was standing in front of him.

"What the-" he stared at Harry with an open mouth. Was this a secret passage by the statue?

Harry didn't know what to say either. His face was sweaty, and his hands were covered in mud.

"Snape's just around the corner, you know?" Draco finally offered and saw Harry gulp.

He should leave. And he should leave fast because Potter had obviously done something against the rules and if Snape found them here, together, he would probably draw the wrong conclusions.

He was just about to leave, but Potter's panic-stricken face told him, that it was too late.

He turned around and saw that Snape looked rather smug. That couldn't be good.

"And what would you two be doing here?" Snape asked, looking between the two. "An odd place to meet."

"We're not - meeting here," Harry said, "we just – met here."

"Eloquent as always," Draco frowned. This was the end. "But what he's saying is true. I just ran into him here five seconds ago."

"Indeed?" said Snape. "You have a habit of turning up in unexpected places, Potter, and you are very rarely there for no good reason… Come with me, both of you."

While they walked, Draco noticed Potter wiping his hands clean with his robes and looking apologetic at Malfoy.

"What did you do?" Draco mouthed.

Harry couldn't talk with Snape listening. But the look on his face told Draco that they were in a world of trouble. He hadn't even done anything this time. The universe was clearly working against him.

"Sit," Snape ordered, which they did. Snape himself remained standing.

"Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe have just been to see me with a strange story."

Harry didn't say anything.

"They told me that they were up by the Shrieking Shack when they ran into Weasley – apparently alone."

Draco frowned. Where was Snape going with this?

But still, Harry didn't speak.

"They stated that they were talking to Weasley, when a large amount of mud was thrown at them. How do you think that could have happened?"

Harry tried to look mildly surprised but if he wasn't able to fool Draco he sure wasn't fooling Snape either.

"I don't know, Professor."

Snape looked at Draco. "I honestly haven't even been in Hogsmeade today." He hoped Snape believed him but as things stood lately, he probably didn't believe anything he said anymore.

"They then saw an extraordinary apparition. Can you imagine what it might have been?"

"No," Harry said.

"It was your head, Potter. Floating in midair."

Draco's jaw almost hit the table. What? He remembered this. He was there, but not this time. The first time this happened. He sincerely hoped Snape didn't notice the recognition on his face.

There was a long silence.

"Maybe they'd better go to Madam Pomfrey," said Harry. "If they are seeing things like-"

Draco couldn't help himself, he snorted.

"What would your head have been doing in Hogsmeade, Potter?" said Snape softly. "Your head is not allowed in Hogsmeade. No part of your body has permission to be in Hogsmeade."

"I know that," said Harry, "it sounds like they are having hallucin-"

"They are not having hallucinations," snarled Snape, and he bent down, a hand on each arm of Harry's chair, so that their faces were a foot apart. "If your head was in Hogsmeade, so was the rest of you."

"I've been up in Gryffindor Tower," tried Harry.

"I have been in the dungeons," added Draco. "I haven't even seen Potter all day!"

"Can anyone confirm that?"

Sirius – was Draco's first thought. He took a few deep breaths. Occluding. He was so screwed.

Harry didn't say anything, either. Snape's thin mouth curled into a horrible smile.

"So," Snape said, straightening up. "Everyone from the Minister of Magic downward has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences."

Draco had to agree. Had Sirius really been a serial killer after Potter, it would have been easy to kill him. But he could also see that he was trying to provoke Harry into a confession. He had no proof – yet.

Snape then went on to insult Harry's father, which soon escalated.

"SHUT UP!" Harry jumped up.

Anger management issues, Draco thought amused. It would be funny to watch if he hadn't been in as much trouble as Harry was.

"What did you say to me, Potter?"

Draco sincerely hoped Harry would shut up himself.

"I told you to shup up about my dad!" he now yelled. "I know the truth all right? He saved your life! Dumbledore told me! You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for my dad!"

What? This was news to Draco.

"And did the headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life?" he whispered. "Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Potter's delicate ears?"

Harry obviously didn't know what happened. Draco could see that as clear as day.

"I would hate for you to run away with a false idea of your father, Potter," he said. "Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me correct you – your saintly father and his friends played a highly amusing joke on me that would have resulted in my death if your father hadn't got cold feet at the last moment. There was nothing brave about what he did. He was saving his own skin as much as mine. Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts."

Draco gulped. Hadn't Snape mentioned something about Sirius dark disposition over Christmas? Had he tried to kill his godfather?

"Turn out your pockets!" he spat, for the first time in a while addressing them both again.

Harry didn't move and Draco frantically thought about what he had in his pockets. Two old newspaper articles – the one about the Weasley's with the rat on the picture and one about the escape of Sirius Black – and the time turner. Why had he picked today of all days to carry that thing around? Not that the newspaper articles were any less condemning.

"Turn out your pockets, or we go straight to the headmaster!"

Draco's heart was hammering in his chest. He grabbed the newspaper articles and pulled them out of his pockets, leaving the time turner in it, hoping that Snape wouldn't want him to pull his pockets out.

"What is this?" Snape sounded livid. If that didn't look like evidence that he was helping Black and trying to get Potter killed, Draco didn't know what would.

He felt Harry staring at him, but Draco decided to stare on the desk in front of him, not looking either man in the eyes. Snape probably thought he was luring Potter out of the castle and into the hands of Black. And Potter's thoughts were probably not all too different.

"After everything that happened recently I decided to do some research… just out of curiosity," Draco knew it was a mute attempt, neither of them believed him.

"Are you… are you helping him?" Potter finally asked.

"Your pockets, Potter," Snape said, probably needing time to digest all of this himself.

Harry slowly pulled out a bag of Zonko's tricks and a piece of parchment.

Snape picked up the Zonko's bag.

"Ron gave them to me," said Harry.

"Indeed? And you've been carrying them around ever since? How very touching… and what is this?"

"Spare bit of parchment," Harry shrugged.

"Surely you don't need such a very old piece of parchment? Why don't I just – throw this away?"

Snape moved toward the fire.

"No!" Harry yelled before he could stop himself.

Draco had to admit, this was nicely played by Snape. He just hoped this, whatever it was, would lead to less and not more trouble for them.

"So! Is this another treasured gift from Mr. Weasley? Or is it – something else? A letter, perhaps, written in invisible ink? Or instructions to get into Hogsmeade without passing the dementors?"

Harry blinked which Snape obviously took as a yes. Draco really hoped this had nothing to do with Sirius. Maybe it would distract Snape from him.

"Did you give this to him?" he barked at Draco.

He was only able to shake his head.

"He didn't," Harry admitted.

"Reveal your secret!" Snape pointed his wand at the map, but nothing happened. "Show yourself!"

Words appeared on the smooth surface of the map.

" _Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."_

Moony? Wasn't that the nickname Sirius had used for Lupin. He glanced up at Snape, hoping that he didn't know the nicknames. But he could read by the look on his face that Snape had heard Sirius and his friends use these nicknames.

Snape stared at Draco. And Draco knew that Snape knew that he knew. Damn.

"Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git."

Draco felt like he would faint any second.

"Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor."

Draco closed his eyes in horror. Why couldn't Sirius just be a normal guy? Why did he have to do stuff like that?

"Mr. Wormtail bids, Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball."

Draco was glad he was sitting, he was trembling, shaking all over. Snape probably thought Draco gave the plan how to get to Hogsmeade to Harry to lure him into a dangerous situation.

"After dinner," Snape said, looking at both of them, "you, both of you, will meet me in the headmaster's office. Have I made myself clear?" he sounded dangerous.

"Yes," they both whispered.

They quietly left the office. Draco could hear Snape throwing Floo powder into the fireplace and calling "Lupin!" but then the door behind them closed.

Oh, how everything had gone south. What the hell was he supposed to do now? And meeting Dumbledore? He would surely get expelled. Or worse.

"Malfoy-" Potter began, but Draco interrupted him.

"If I was working with him I surely wouldn't have saved your life during the Quidditch match, don't you think?"

He hurried away, before Potter could say anymore.

It had to happen tonight. If they didn't catch the rat tonight, everything would be over. They would expel him, find Sirius and give him the Dementor's kiss. And Draco would end up in Azkaban.

Of course, he still had the time turner. Before he ended up in Azkaban he would use it to reset the timeline and go back to the way things were. But that would mean that Sirius would die again. Either way, tonight would be the night that would decide the destiny of Sirius Black.

TBC

A.N.: This is not at all how I planned things chapter to go. I just wanted the scene from the book so Lupin would have the map. And I wanted Draco there because it is his pov and without him we wouldn't have seen it. So he needed to be there. But once he was there it was clear that he would need to show what's in his pockets, too. And once I got there, I knew Draco wouldn't get out of this and I knew that Lupin would not be able to deescalate the situation anymore. Especially if Snape really thinks Draco is one step away from killing Harry.

This was actually really exciting to write. I got really scared for Draco. I'm really excited to see where this will lead Draco. I have a few ideas where this story is going but this chapter has shown me, that sometimes a story has a life of its own and even the author isn't in complete control of it. I had actually planned to have the Shrieking Shack scene with the big reveal happen a few chapters ago. It would have been quite similar to the books too. But the Christmas chapters, Sirius being there, him using Polyjuice… it all happened while writing and wasn't previously planned so we'll see where the next chapters lead us.


	23. Chapter 23

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Draco had to act quickly. He found Daphne and told her that it had to happen tonight. Daphne then went about informing Neville, Astoria and Sirius. Draco meanwhile took care of the potion they needed and contacted the house elves.

Dinner itself was a strange affair. Snape was watching him, as were Dumbledore and the golden trio. Potter probably told them everything. Draco made sure to not look at any of them. Especially not Snape or Dumbledore. If they read his mind, things were over.

Draco did not eat much, he was too nervous, and his stomach was rebelling. He barely listened to Crabbe and Goyle telling him about how they encountered Potter's head in Hogsmeade. If Snape hadn't caught him in the afternoon he would have gladly listened to their story but as it were he couldn't concentrate on anything but his own worries.

It happened right in the middle of dinner and just the way Draco and Sirius had planned it. At least something that went according to plan. He noticed how the Gryffindor table was suddenly growing panicked. He glanced over at them. The potion had worked, and the house elves had really put it into the students' food. Draco was glad they really had believed that it was a simple prank that was just there to lighten the mood of everyone during dark times.

The hair of everyone at Gryffindor table grew long and turned Malfoy blond. In that moment, Draco used his wand. A transfiguration spell that Sirius had shown him. He wondered if he had ever used it on Snape. He probably had. It turned the clothes of everyone sitting at the table into Slytherin colors. Next, one house elf appeared next to every single student at that table, bowing down and saying "Mr. Malfoy" or "Miss Malfoy".

It was hilarious. No one at Gryffindor table said a word. But all the other houses had started laughing. Not just Slytherin, but Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, as well. It wasn't a malicious prank. No one got hurt or singled out and humiliated. No, it was simply funny and harmless.

Draco would have laughed, too, had he not been so worried. But he had to play his part.

He strutted over to their table, stopping in front of the Weasley twins again who were staring at him with open mouths.

"Brother," one of them finally mumbled.

"You are back," the other continued.

"Have joined us at the table of the most ancient and noble house of Malfoy," the other added.

They started strutting around, too. Acting arrogant and pompous, making even the most pissed off Gryffindor laugh.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Draco from behind. He was scared that it was Snape and that he would Avada Kedavra him on the spot in front of everyone.

But to his surprise it wasn't him. It was McGonagall, looking anything but amused.

"Mr. Malfoy-" she started.

"Which one?" One of the Weasleys interrupted.

"Oh, him," she motioned at Draco, but then seemed to change her mind, "and you two as well. My office. Now."

McGonagall walked out of the Hall and the three of them followed her, one on each side of Draco. The attention of the whole school was on them. Good, thought Draco. This way, no one noticed that two people had been missing during the meal.

"Man, that was brilliant," one of the Weasleys started.

"Absolutely brilliant. You have to teach us that spell you used," the other mused.

"Who would have thought that a Malfoy could have a sense of humor," the first one chuckled.

Draco smirked. "Well, we have three examples of Malfoys with humor right here, or not?"

The twins started laughing. Draco laughed too, but he didn't really feel it.

Had he not been so nervous, he might have been able to enjoy the prank, too.

"Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall started, once in her office. "Draco Malfoy," she added as an afterthought. "What were you thinking?"

"It wasn't me," Draco said.

"W-What?"

"I didn't do it. And I don't think you have any evidence that would suggest that I did it."

The twins nodded their heads in agreement.

"Those two like to play pranks. On me especially. Maybe it was one of them," he said and hoped that the twins wouldn't take it personally. Luckily, they didn't.

That moment, the door burst open and Snape entered, looking even more furious – if that was even possible - than he had just a few hours ago.

"Mr. Malfoy," he started.

The twins seemed to sense that this would be the end of him. "It wasn't him," they said in unison.

"What?" Snape reacted quite similar to how Professor McGonagall had reacted.

"It was us," one of them said.

Draco wasn't sure how this would have played out because right after that, Professor Lupin joined them in the already quite crowded office, looking panicked.

"Severus," he urged, "Black has been here! He has some of the students. Longbottom and the Greengrass sisters. Harry and his friends are after him. I don't know where they all are, though."

Draco gulped.

Snape turned towards him and dove into his mind. He was so strong that Draco didn't even try to resist. It wouldn't have worked anyways. But Severus' presence in his mind was a lot less brutal than what he was used from his aunt and the Dark Lord.

Snape was quite swift. He found a memory of Draco and Black in the Shrieking Shack and left his head again.

"The Shrieking Shack," he said to Lupin and then turned to Draco. "You stay here," he growled, clearly struggling to not kill him. Together with Lupin he left the room.

"Professor," Draco started. "I think you should fetch the headmaster."

To his relief, McGonagall did just that.

"Looks like we are off the hook, guys," he said to Fred and George. "Maybe we should go back to our dorms and warn everyone to stay inside," he suggested.

He didn't wait for their answer but sprinted out of the room.

Once he was out of the castle he acciod for his broom and flew to the Shrieking Shack, hoping he would be there before Snape and Lupin arrived there.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

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oooOOOooo

Once Draco arrived in the Shrieking Shack he was relieved to see that he had made it there before the teachers and before Potter and his friends.

"They are on their way," he panted as soon as he saw Sirius, Neville and the Greengrass sisters. "Snape and Lupin. And Harry and his friends. Do you have the rat?" he asked.

"Yes," Astoria squeaked proudly. "Neville and I left during the big mess in the Great Hall and Neville took me into his dorm. Neville distracted the cat and I caught the rat," she lifted the unconscious rat up for everyone to see. Neville, standing next to her, looked quite proud of himself.

"Perfect," Draco let out a sigh of relief. Maybe it would all work out for the best.

"Let's kill him," Sirius said, seemingly giddy. He made a few steps towards Astoria, who squealed and jumped back, hiding the rat behind her back. Neville instinctively stepped between them.

"No," Draco said. "Remember what we talked about. We need him alive to prove your innocence."

Sirius looked disappointed, but resigned to the others.

"Maybe you guys should leave," Draco said, looking at Neville and the sisters. "No one knows you had anything to do with this. You can still get out of this without losing house point or detention... Or Azkaban."

"No," Daphne said, decisively, stepping next to Draco.

"We are in this together. We won't leave you alone when you really need us," agreed Neville.

Astoria nodded her head enthusiastically.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang of a door being thrown open and hitting the wall. "YOU FOUL," the golden trio burst into the room and Hermione made her way towards Draco. "EVIL," she took another step towards Draco and smacked him in the face. Hermione was so mad, she was shaking.

Draco held his burning cheek. He had had a feeling that being slapped by Hermione Granger might be one of those things that he couldn't change. He was beginning to suspect that the past did not want to be changed, which was one of the reasons why the more Draco tried to change things, the more problems he ran into.

"Leave him alone," Neville yelled.

"Et tu, Neville?" Hermione whispered, shock and disappointment evident on her face. Draco could see the fight leave her betrayed body.

Harry and Ron were standing behind Hermione, pointing their wands at Draco and Sirius.

"Hermione, it's not what-" Neville started.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco yelled, the wands of the trio flying into his hand. Knowing that the Professors were on their way, he handed one of them to Sirius. He would need a wand to protect himself.

"If you want to kill Harry," Ron yelled at Sirius, "you will have to kill us too!"

"There will be only one murder here tonight," Sirius said, his eyes wild.

"Oh my god, Sirius!" Daphne squeaked.

"Shut up," Draco yelled at him. "Every time you open your mouth you make a bad situation even worse!"

"And you, Malfoy," Harry stepped forward, seething. Draco had to admit, Potter was a lot of things, but a coward wasn't one of them. "I can't believe it. Why did I believe you when you said you weren't helping him? I am such an idiot. A Malfoy being nice, right. All you ever did was make my life more difficult. I don't know why I thought your maliciousness had limits," Harry huffed.

Draco took a step back. The betrayal in Harry's voice and the reminder of how he had been in the past, stung.

"You probably planned this all along. Your father will be so proud. You have been helping him all along, haven't you?" Harry accused.

"Yes. Yes, he has," Sirius said, and Draco cursed under his breath. Why couldn't that man just shut up.

"YOU KILLED MY PARENTS!" Harry roared, turning towards Sirius.

"I can't deny that," Sirius admitted, and Draco threw his hands in the air. That man had some real problems.

"He is innocent," Astoria said hastily. "Just listen to him. To the whole story. He isn't a traitor."

"Oh shut up, you-" Weasley began.

"Hey!" both Draco and Daphne interrupted. "Don't talk to my sister like that," threatened Daphne.

"I know you Slytherins don't like me," Harry said, narrowing his eyes, "but this is murder."

Draco wanted to say something in his defense, but there was a noise coming from within the tunnel that connected the Shrieking Shack to the Whomping Willow.

"WE ARE HERE!" Hermione yelled before anyone could stop her. "SIRIUS BLACK-"

Before Draco could silence her with a spell, the door burst open and Remus Lupin entered the, by now rather crowded, room.

He had his wand raised at Sirius.

"Remus," Sirius eyes had a new spark in it and he maid a step towards him.

"Don't move," Lupin whispered, pointing his wand at him, sounding menacing.

"It's Pettigrew," Sirius rumbled hastily, almost stumbling over his own words. "He is still alive. It was him. Him all along," he wildly gestured at the rat Astoria was still holding.

Lupin's gaze fixed on the rat. "But then…" he whispered, staring at Black. "… why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless-" Lupin's eyes widened. "Unless he was the one… unless you switched… without telling me?"

Black slowly nodded.

"Professor," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going on-?" But he never finished his question.

Lupin lowered his wand, made a few steps towards Black and then embraced him like a long-lost brother.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed. "You- you-"

"Hermione," Lupin tried to stop her.

"- you and him!"

"Hermione, calm down –"

Draco's wands and those held by Sirius and Lupin flew out of their hands and into the hands of one Professor Severus Snape.

"Darn," Draco cursed under his breath.

"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked, not having noticed Snape's presence. "I've been covering up for you-"

Draco knew that he had to stop Snape from doing anything rash so when the potion's master moved, Draco jumped in front of him. He stared him into the eyes, practically forcing his memories on him.

"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Lupin shouted. "I can explain-"

The first memory he threw at him was of Black explaining the situation with Pettigrew. When he saw Snape halting in his movement he knew he had seen it.

"I trusted you," Harry shouted at Lupin, his voice wavering, "and all the time you've been his friend!"

When Draco knew he had his godfather's attention, he pushed forward the memory of the failed attempt to catch the rat. He could feel Snape entering his mind. He also felt how incredibly angry the man was.

"You're wrong," said Lupin. "I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now – Let me explain…"

Draco went back to the beginning, showing Snape how he and Neville had found Sirius.

"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too – he's a werewolf!"

There was a ringing silence. Everyone but Severus and Draco, who were still looking at each other, was now looking at Lupin.

"What?" Daphne whispered.

"It is true," Astoria said, calmly. "His absences coincide with the full moon." Draco was surprised she, as a first year, had figured it out, too. Damn, was she brilliant.

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," said Lupin, ignoring Astoria. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead. But I won't deny that I am a werewolf. How long have you two known?"

Hermione looked over to Astoria.

"Ages," Hermione said.

"Since the essay for Professor Snape," added Astoria.

"Ten points to Gryffindor and ten points to Ravenclaw," Snape chose this moment to make himself known to everyone in the room.

Lupin stared at him for a while. Looking at the wand that he had pointed in the general direction of him and Sirius. "You two are quite clever," he finally said.

"No," Hermione said, "if I were so clever, I would have told everyone what you are!"

"But they already know," said Lupin. "At least, the staff do."

"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?" Ron gasped.

"Is he mad?" Daphne asked.

"Some off the staff thought so," Lupin said, looking at Severus. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy-"

"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Harry yelled. "Snape was right. You have been helping him all this time!"

Severus raised an eyebrow at that statement. He seemed rather amused.

"Seeing that I am the only one currently armed, I believe it is time that everyone calmed down and you two," he motioned towards Lupin and Black, "explained what is going on. If you don't convince me in the next five minutes, I am sure the Dementors will be happy to meet you."

"You-" Sirius hesitated, "You are giving me a chance to explain?"

"Thank Draco for that," he said, dismissively.

Draco felt relief wash over him. Snape gave them a chance. One more than they probably all deserved but now he knew that there was hope.

"If you haven't been helping him," Harry started, "how did you know he was here?"

"The map," Lupin answered and explained how he and Sirius and James and Peter had created the map in their youth.

"I knew it," Severus whispered.

"I was watching it carefully tonight," Lupin continued, not minding Snape. "And I saw you," he looked at Neville, Astoria and Daphne, "with Sirius. I immediately went to fetch Severus as I couldn't see where you were heading. By the way, how did you know where they were going?"

"Legilimency. I had suspected Draco was helping Black for quite some time now. Apparently, I wasn't wrong," Snape gave Draco a peculiar look that he couldn't quite place.

Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"I still don't get any of this," Harry muttered.

"It's quite simple," Draco stepped forward. "Sirius is innocent. He never was your parents' Secret Keeper. He had switched with Peter Pettigrew, who, by the way, is still alive. He is the one who betrayed your parents. Something else you should know: your father and Pettigrew and Black were all Animagi. Pettigrew framed Sirius and went into hiding in his animal form. That, of a rat."

He let that all sink in.

"That rat," Sirius said, taking the still unconscious rat out of Astoria's hands.

"You are mental," Ron whispered. "This is ridiculous," he said somewhat louder.

Then Lupin started to tell his story. How he had been turned into a werewolf. And how his friends had not only accepted it, but had become illegal Animagi to help him.

"I always knew that Sirius was an Animagus. And even though I thought he was a murderer after Harry, I never told Dumbledore about it. Severus, you have been right. Dumbledore shouldn't have trusted me. He even sent me a letter over Christmas and I never told anyone about it."

Snape narrowed his eyes at Lupin, then looked at Black. "I am still not sure I believe you," he admitted.

"Then it is time for some proof," Sirius said, pointing at the rat. He then looked at Snape. "Since you are the only one with a wand…" he shrugged his shoulders.

"My pleasure," Severus said. He stepped towards the rat, but Ron jumped in front of him.

"No!" he looked frantic. "Leave Scabbers alone!"

"Out of the way, Weasley," demanded Snape.

"How do you even know it is him? There are a million rats out there! How would he even know about him if he was in Azkaban?"

"Fair questions," Snape conceded. "The newspaper?" he looked at Draco.

"Y-Yes," he nodded, looking between Snape and Harry.

Harry seemed to catch on. "The one he confiscated toady? The one about Egypt. It had a picture Ron's family on it…"

"And Scabbers," Ron whispered.

"How did you get this?" Lupin asked Sirius.

"Fudge," said Black. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page… on this boy's shoulder… I knew him at once… how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts… to where Harry was…"

"Hmm…" Severus mused, "the rat is missing a finger… right?"

"Uhm, yes?" Ron said.

"My God," whispered Lupin. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."

"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right-"

"Twelve years, in fact," said Lupin. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"

"We – we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.

"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" said Lupin. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again…"

"He's been scared of that mad cat!"

"No… no," Harry said. "He's been looking bad ever since you came back from Egypt, Ron. But you…" he looked at Sirius, "you said you killed my parents… just moments ago…"

"I… I as good as killed them, Harry. I told them to switch secret keepers. If I hadn't, they would have used me and still be alive."

"Enough of this," Snape roared. "The rat, Miss Greengrass." Astoria put Scabbers on the ground in front of Snape.

Snape handed Draco his wand back, as back up in case Sirius's story wasn't true, Draco assumed, and also gave Lupin his.

Lupin and Snape looked at each other and then a bright blue light shot out of their wands.

A head was shooting upwards from the ground; limbs were sprouting; next moment, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.

"It is true," gasped Severus and Draco could feel everyone in the room growing tense.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly. "Long time, no see."

TBC

A.N. A lot of this was obviously taken from the third book.

As always, let me know what you think :)


	25. Chapter 25

Read, enjoy and review ;)

oooOOOooo

"S-Sirius… R-Remus…" Pettigrew croaked, looking wide eyed at his former friends. The man disgusted Draco to no end. He always had. "My friends… my old friends…"

"You little…" Sirius made a few steps towards Pettigrew, his eyes murderous, his arms outstretched as if to strangle him.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Draco yelled, and Sirius stopped mid-motion, stiffened and fell to his side. "I'm sorry, Sirius. But it is for your own good," Draco mumbled. He understood the rage, the disgust and the hurt, but it never ended well if one let them take over.

Snape snorted, obviously amused.

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died," Remus started, seemingly unfazed by the petrified Sirius by his feet. His voice was calm, quiet, even, but Draco knew that under that calm surface, hot rage was burning.

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew. He was sweaty, his face pale and his whole body shaking. "You don't believe him, do you…? He tried to kill me, Remus…"

"So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so-"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked and pointed at Black with his middle finger. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too… You've got to help me, Remus…"

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.

"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly around the room. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" asked Lupin, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

"Are you sure you have been hiding from him?" Draco asked. "And not, perhaps, from Voldemort's supporters?"

Pettigrew flinched.

"Scared of your old master's name?" Draco taunted. "You should be. If they find out you are still alive… Won't end good for you, I bet."

"Don't know… what you're talking about…," said Pettigrew shrilly. "You don't believe this – this madness, Remus-"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," said Lupin evenly.

"Innocent, but scared!" squealed Pettigrew.

"Scared because both sides want you dead?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

"N-No. If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban – the spy, Sirius Black!"

Draco could feel Sirius struggling against his spell. Seeing no reason to keep him further incapacitated, he released him.

"How dare you," he jumped to his feet. "I, a spy for Voldemort?"

Pettigrew squealed and jumped back from Sirius.

"Ehm," Hermione's tentative voice interrupted, "may I say something?"

"Certainly, Hermione," answered Lupin.

"Well – Scabbers – I mean, this – this man – he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, why did he never try to hurt Harry before?"

"There!" said Pettigrew shrilly. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"

"I tell you why," said Black bitterly. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him…"

"Mr. Black-" Hermione interrupted again, "Sirius- how did you get out of Azkaban?"

Sirius started to explain. How he stayed sane in his dog form and how he learned about Pettigrew being alive and at Hogwarts. Things Draco had heard several times already.

"It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the dementors couldn't destroy it… It wasn't a happy feeling… it was an obsession… but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog… It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused… I was thin, very thin… thin enough to slip through the bars… I swam as a dog back to the mainland… I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since…"

"But what do Malfoy and Neville have to do with any of this?" Harry asked, an eyebrow raised but Draco could see that they were winning him over, too.

"That," said Snape, "is something I would like to know as well."

"They found me," Sirius explained, and a smile crept upon his features. "They found me when I had hit rock bottom. The world believed I was a traitor and killer. I was cold and alone and miserable. That's when they found me. And believed me. They brought me food, talked to me and calmed my irrational, obsessed mind. They became my friends."

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape drawled, realization in his eyes, "has Mr. Goyle ever really visited you over the winter break?"

Draco flashed him an apologetic smile.

"Polyjuice?" he asked.

"Was nice having tea with you, Sniv- ouch!" Draco had sent a stinger in his direction, "Snape. Anyways, they also helped me catch the rat. Our first attempts weren't so successful. But today… We finally... I... Harry? You have to believe me," he croaked. "I never betrayed your parents. S-Severus... I know you think the worst of me, but you must know that James was like a brother to me. I would have given my life to protect them."

Harry was nodding, apparently won over by Sirius' heartfelt speech. And slowly, almost imperceptible, Severus nodded in Sirius' direction as well.

"No!" Pettigrew screamed and began to beg everyone in the room to spare him. "Please. Please, don't." He knelt, trembling uncontrollably.

When he fell on deaf ears with everyone else, he turned towards Harry. "Harry… Harry…" Pettigrew shuffled towards him, hands outstretched, "You look just like your father… just like him…"

"Don't touch him," hissed Snape.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HIM?" roared Sirius. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"

"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," hissed Snape, shaking with anger. "Do you deny it?"

Pettigrew burst into tears.

"What could I have done? The Dark Lord… you have no idea… he has weapons you can't imagine… I was scared. I was never brave like Sirius, Remus and James. I never meant it to happen… He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me-"

"DON'T LIE!" bellowed Black. "You'd been passing information to him for a year before Lily and James died! You were his spy!"

"He – he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "Wh- what was there to be gained by refusing him?"

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who had ever existed?" said Black, with a terrible fury in his face. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"

"You don't understand!" he whined. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

"You should have realized," said Lupin quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."

Snape and Lupin, stepped towards the trembling man, wands out, ready to kill him, but Sirius, Neville and Draco all jumped in front of them, screaming, "NO!"

"Out of the way," growled Snape.

"You can't kill him. I need him alive to clear my name," argued Sirius.

Snape huffed but lowered his wand. Lupin stared at Sirius for a while and Draco wondered if he found a rational Sirius as weird as he did. With a flick of his wand, he tied Pettigrew up. He tied him to himself and to Weasley. Snape gave everyone else their wands back.

They all started back towards the castle. None of them were in a very talkative mood but Draco could hear Sirius and Harry discuss how Sirius could take him in as his godfather.

"Leave the Dursleys?" Harry asked. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys!"

Snape snorted. "Have you ever met Petunia? Of course he wants to leave them."

Harry stared at him with an open mouth. "Have _you_?"

Snape just shrugged his shoulders and let Black, who looked at him in an odd sort of way that Draco couldn't decipher, and Potter, continue discussing living arrangements.

Once they had reached the end of the tunnel, stepped outside and walked for a bit, Snape commented, "It is the full moon tonight…" he turned towards Lupin, "You have taken you last dosis of Wolfsbane, right?"

Everyone stopped in their tracks and Lupin went rigid, staring at Snape with wide eyes.

"Run," Black whispered. "Run, now."

But with Lupin tied to Pettigrew and Weasley, they couldn't run. Draco felt panic rise within him. He felt trapped and helpless.

Harry jumped towards Ron, but Sirius caught him and held him back. "Leave it to me – RUN!"

There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws as he dropped his wand.

Sirius turned into his dog form and charged towards the wolf.

Snape made a step forward and with a quick flick of his wand had freed Ron and Pettigrew from Lupin.

Ron fell to the ground, Pettigrew used the moment to dive for Lupin's dropped wand. Before anyone could react, he had sent stunners at Ron and Daphne, who were now lieing motionless on the ground.

"Expelliarmus!" roared Snape. The spell hit Pettigrew square in the chest, which sent him stumbling backwards. Snape caught the wand midair.

Draco noticed Pettigrew turning into his rat form. "No!" He ran towards him and tackled him, bringing them both to the ground. He just wanted to keep the man in place, but he kneeled Draco in the gut, which led Draco to punch him in the face. Soon they were fighting, like muggles, on the ground, the fighting werewolf and dog right next to them momentarily forgotten.

Draco barely noticed how Snape stepped between the animals and the fighting men, trying to shield the children from the werewolf.

Pettigrew drew his arm back to punch Draco in the face, but Harry had joined their fight, holding on to Pettigrew's arm.

Draco vaguely noted how the werewolf seemed to overpower Sirius, but Sirius was soon supported by Granger, the Greengrass sisters and Neville, who all sent hexes towards the werewolf. Snape joined the fight as well.

The horrible scene around him momentarily distracted Draco, and Pettigrew used this distraction to snatch Draco's wand, sending him and Potter flying in the air. Pettigrew tried to run but got hit by a stinger sent from Neville, who now bravely stood in his way.

Pettigrew was being surrounded and obviously felt trapped. As a last, desperate, attempt to distract and flee he yelled "Sectumsempra."

Draco froze. He knew that spell. Cold dread washed over him. The spell went right past him. Everything went dead quiet. It had hit someone, thought Draco helplessly.

Draco turned around in time to see Astoria, covered in blood, fall to the ground.

TBC

What do you think? I am so mean...


	26. Chapter 26

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

 _Pettigrew snatched Draco's wand, sending him and Potter flying in the air. Pettigrew tried to run but got hit by a stinger sent from Neville, who now stood in his way._

 _Pettigrew was being surrounded and obviously felt trapped. As a last, desperate, attempt, he yelled "Sectumsempra."_

 _Draco froze. He knew that spell. Cold dread washed over him. The spell went right past him. Everything went dead quiet. It had hit someone, thought Draco helplessly._

 _Draco turned around in time to see Astoria, covered in blood, fall to the ground._

"No!" screamed Draco and ran towards her. He fell on his knees beside her.

"Astoria," he cried.

There were slashes over her chest and throat and the wounds were heavily bleeding. One slash at her throat had cut her trachea and she was making choking noises.

"Shh," Draco whispered, "Don't speak. Everything is going to be alright."

He pressed his shaking hands on the wound. "Astoria," he whispered, tears in his eyes.

He couldn't see anything but the blood and her eyes and couldn't hear anything but a jingling in his ears and her ragged breathing.

"Severus!" he yelled through his tears. He had helped him when Potter had used that spell, surely, he could help her too.

Her face was ashen, and she didn't move, lying in a pool of her own blood.

"Help!" he croaked in a desperate voice.

Draco heard a loud "Incarcerous!" and suddenly Snape was next to him and gently pushed him aside.

Snape traced the wounds with his wand, muttering "Vulnera Sanentur," over and over again. It sounded like a song and his smooth voice calmed Draco's racing heart somewhat.

When the wounds started to heal, Draco's panic and fear turned into primal fury.

The air suddenly grew colder. Apparently, the Dementors had noticed the commotion and were closing in on them.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Draco could see Neville running into the forest. Figuring that he was probably chasing the rat, Draco grabbed Astoria's wand and went after him.

Empowered by his rage, he quickly ran past Neville and closed in on the fleeing Pettigrew.

"CRUCIO," he roared, pointing Astoria's wand at Pettigrew's back.

Pettigrew fell and started to twitch on the ground. He thrashed and howled in pain.

"CRUCIO!" Draco yelled again. Never before had he been so angry and never before had his curse been so violent.

Draco's rage finally dissipated somewhat as he saw the man thrash and scream on the ground.

He took a few deep breaths, using a silent _Accio_ to get his own wand back. He put Astoria's into the pocket of his robe.

Pettigrew stopped wriggling on the ground. He pulled something out of his pocket. It was shining golden in the moonlight.

"Oh no," Draco gulped. He frantically started to search his pockets. But he couldn't find it. It was gone! The time-turner was gone!

He could see Pettigrew's fingers fumbling with it. He must have grabbed it while they were fighting on the ground. Behind him he heard Neville coming closer. He didn't have enough time. Not enough time!

In his panic, Draco screamed "Diffindo!", pointing his wand at the time-turner. He could see the time-turner falling apart, clattering on the ground.

"CRUCIO," he bellowed, newly enraged. "A-"

"Draco!" Neville gasped, tackling Draco. They both fell to the ground.

When Draco looked in the direction of Pettigrew, he had already turned into his rat form and scurried away. Draco shot a stunner after him, but missed the tiny mouse. Then it was out of view.

"You," Draco screamed, jumping to his feet and pointing his wand at Neville. "You let him get away!"

"D-Draco," Neville was shaking. "You were going to kill him! Are you out of your damn mind?"

Draco noticed that he was aiming his wand at a friend and lowered it immediately. He took a few deep breaths.

"D-Did you see what he did to Astoria?" he asked, his voice shaking.

Neville didn't say anything.

"He- he…" Draco started trembling again.

He had failed. Failed at protecting Astoria. Failed at catching Pettigrew. Failed at saving Sirius.

And he couldn't even go back to undo his mistakes anymore.

He fell to his knees, crying. It got so cold, he could see his breath and his sorrow was so heavy he could barely breathe.

"Draco," Neville whispered frantically, edging closer to Draco, "the Dementors."

But Draco didn't care. So, what if they got them? The world was better off without Draco in it.

"Draco! We need to get back to the castle!" Neville grabbed him by the shoulders, but Draco shook him off. "Draco?"

Draco could feel how Neville grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along, back to the others, who were surrounded by Dementors. The werewolf was also close to freeing himself from the conjured ties.

It was over, Draco thought. Over.

They were all going to die. And it was his fault.

He watched Snape fighting for Astoria's life and Harry desperately conjuring shapeless Patronuses to keep the Dementors at bay. It was useless, Draco thought numbly.

Suddenly, a blinding light lit up the night and Draco's will to fight and live returned. A bright, flaming phoenix flew around them, getting rid of all the Dementors.

Draco turned his head. Dumbledore had arrived at the scene, his Patronus stronger than any magic Draco had ever experienced. With a flick of his wand, he detained Lupin, who had just freed himself, again. He strode towards Snape, a stern look on his face. The exchanged a few words.

The children gathered around them. For once, Draco felt like Dumbledore looked his age. A somber expression, no twinkling in his eyes.

Dumbledore told everyone to hold on to him. Snape held Astoria in his arms and Harry was holding the beaten body of his godfather in dog form. And then they apparated.

Draco had forgotten that the headmaster was in control of the anti apparation wards on the Hogwarts grounds.

Next thing he knew, they were in the infirmary.

Snape and Pomfrey immediately tended to Astoria and Draco was relieved to see that besides being very pale and having a few nasty scars on her, she seemed alright.

Potter was holding onto Black. His dog form, which was bleeding heavily, but otherwise seemed okay. Potter put him on a bed and he transformed back into his human form.

After Madam Pomfrey did everything she could for Astoria, she walked over to Black. With a sneer, she conjured handcuffs, which tied him to his bed. Then she tended to his injuries.

Draco looked around the room. Daphne was by her sister's side and Neville was standing next to the Gryffindor Golden Trio. Draco slowly walked over to them.

They all looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

"So," Harry finally said to Draco, "Were you trying to kill me and messed it up spectacularly or were you trying to help me?"

"Oh, the world doesn't just evolve around you, Potter" Draco smirked. "I wanted to help Sirius," he continued, more seriously.

"So you knew he wasn't going to kill me?" Harry asked for clarification.

"Yes," Draco sighed. "I was not trying to get you killed. And believe it or not, I wouldn't have helped him if I had thought he would try to hurt you." Had he really been that horrible of a person that no one could believe he might help someone without any selfish reasons?

"Why?" Weasley looked at him wearily.

Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"No offense, but two whole years you hate our guts and try to make our lives as difficult as possible, and suddenly you are helping us?"

"Leave him alone," Neville said. "He helped. Isn't that the only thing that is important right now?"

No one said anything. Draco flashed Neville a smile but Neville did not return it. Instead, he looked at Draco wearily.

Dumbledore, who had been talking to Snape up until now, walked over to them.

"Headmaster," Harry greeted.

Draco felt queasy so close to Dumbledore. Thoughts of the Astronomy tower flashed before his eyes and he had to sit down on one of the beds. He concentrated on his breathing and occluded the best he could.

"What will happen with Sirius?" asked Hermione. She probably assumed that Snape had already explained everything of relevance.

"The minister will arrive here shortly and Aurors will-"

"But he is innocent," interrupted Neville.

"So I've been told," Dumbledore didn't seem to mind the interruption. "I will talk to the minister in the hopes of giving Mr. Black the proper trial he would have deserved in the first place."

Draco nodded. This sounded good. Maybe he hadn't failed Sirius completely.

"Now," Dumbledore continued, studying every one of them, his gaze lingering on Draco, "I would like to know what happened."

The children all looked at each other, before they started their tale. Neville began the story as he knew more than the others. He left out why Draco and him had been in the Forbidden Forest, but besides that everything he said was the truth. When he got to the part with the Shrieking Shack, the Golden Trio took over. Draco kept quiet, listening to the others telling their tale, watching Astoria and Daphne.

TBC

Hmm things look a lot better than they did at the end of the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one. Let me know what you think.


	27. Chapter 27

**A.N.:**

Thank you for all the reviews. I know Draco is having a hard time, but things will look up soon, promise. I'm trying to write a story that stays interesting and exciting over many chapters, because I often see time travel stories in which everything goes smoothly, and they get boring after a few chapters. But things will definitely look up for Draco in the next chapters.

To Stroke:

"By August 2020, Theodore Nott, while working for Lucius Malfoy, created a prototype of a time-turner, presumably in the hope of saving Voldemort from his fate. The prototype only let the time-traveller stay in the past for five minutes, although they could travel as far back as they wanted.

Nott eventually created a better and improved model, which let the time-traveller stay in the past for as long as they wanted. They could also use the device to return to the future when needed. While Malfoy kept the improved model, which was eventually passed down to his son, Nott kept the prototype. Even though they both owned something which could be used to save Voldemort, neither of them tried." (harrypotter wikia)

So the time turner Draco used does not exist yet.

As always: Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

By the time they had explained what had happened in the forest, the door to the infirmary burst open and the minister strode in, followed by a few Aurors and, to Draco's immense surprise, his parents. Apparently, news had spread fast at the ministry.

"Draco!" Narcissa yelped and embraced her son, nearly squashing him.

"Mother," Draco complained, but secretly enjoyed the display of affection. His parents usually did not show their emotions in public. "I am alright. No need to change that by squeezing me to death."

Narcissa took a step back, taking in the appearance of her son with raised eyebrows. Draco took a look at himself as well, noticing that his arms were covered in blood and his clothes in dirt.

"Really," he added meekly.

Lucius stood behind her, giving his son a worried look. He then looked at the kids standing around him, wrinkling his nose.

Narcissa also looked around the room, her gaze lingering on Sirius. Without a word, she stood up and approached him.

"Mother," Draco called after her and she turned around and looked at him. "He is innocent."

Narcissa nodded and continued her walk. She stopped in front of the bed Sirius was lying on, his eyes closed.

She stared at him for a while.

His eyes fluttered open and he looked at her. A weak smile tucking at his lips. "Long time no see, Cissy."

"He will be kissed tonight!" the minister announced, interrupting their reunion.

Draco and the others jumped up to defend him.

"No!" Narcissa spun around. "He is a Black and as such deserves a proper trial."

"Narcissa," Lucius took a step towards his wife, obviously not sharing this sentiment.

"Don't you Narcissa me," she hissed. "Draco said he is innocent and I believe him. And Sirius is part of the family. If he is innocent, he deserves a trial. And I want the real perpetrator who attacked my son to be found and punished."

Sirius smiled at her.

Lucius looked between the minister and his wife. Draco knew that his father despised Sirius, but he also knew that he would do everything for his mother.

Lucius closed his eyes, his brows furrowed. When he opened them again, he had a sickly-sweet smile on his face, which was obviously forced. "Cornelius," he said, approaching the minister. "I am sure we can talk about this."

oooOOOooo

Later that day, the Aurors left with Sirius in tow, followed by a satisfied Narcissa, an unhappy Lucius and a confused minister. Lucius had succeeded in convincing Fudge that Sirius deserved a fair trial and the minister had promised to give him one. Not that he had much of a choice if Harry Potter, the Malfoys and Albus Dumbledore stood behind Black.

oooOOOooo

"Never thought I'd be happy to have your parents around," Harry chuckled, once the grown ups had left the room. They still had to stay back to be checked by Madame Pomfrey.

"I'm sorry I slapped you," Hermione said, sounding sincere.

"Don't worry about it," Draco shrugged it off. "You thought I was helping a serial killer kill your best friend. I'd say I got off lightly."

"Why didn't you just tell us?" asked Harry.

"Would you have believed me? If I had just walked over to you and told you?"

"Honestly? I guess not," Harry conceded. "But what about you, Neville? We would have listened to you."

"Would you?" he asked. "You never trust me with any of the things you are up to. You also have the tendency to run into trouble. I was scared you might do something rash."

The trio looked at each other.

"Then why not go to a teacher?" Hermione finally asked.

Neville pondered this. "I don't know. I wanted to tell someone, but Draco was against it."

"I said we could tell Snape," Draco defended himself.

"You're bonkers," interrupted Ron.

"He would have never listened to me!" agreed Neville.

"And you think McGonagall would have listened to me? And Snape did help us. He saved Astoria."

Neville didn't know what to say. "Maybe I also didn't tell anyone because I wanted to prove that I belong into Gryffindor. That I can be brave, too."

"Oh but of course you belong to us, Neville," Hermione said.

Neville gave her a weak smile.

Daphne walked over to them.

"Hey," Draco greeted her, the others looked more guarded again. "How is Astoria?"

"She is asleep now," Daphne said with a shaky voice. Draco could tell that she had been crying. "Snape and Pomfrey did everything they could. But she still looks so weak."

"I'm sure she will be fine," Hermione tried to comfort her.

Daphne started to cry, and Draco put an arm around her.

"I- I'm sorry I dragged you and Astoria into this," Draco whispered.

"Oh no," she said, "we knew what we were getting into. We knew it might be dangerous. We wanted to help," she smiled at him and even tentatively smiled in the direction of the Gryffindors. "And you are brave, Neville. You fought a mass murderer. That's pretty brave in my books," she added.

"But so were you and your sister. Maybe bravery is not something that only Gryffindors possess," pondered Harry.

Draco was happy to see that apparently Slytherins and Gryffindors could get along, if they wanted to.

"Terrible, that after all, he still got away," sighed Daphne.

"This is all my fault," Draco said. "Maybe we really should have told someone instead of doing this ourselves."

"I don't think it is your fault," Harry said. "Yesterday, Professor Trelawney went very – very strange. Her voice went all deep and her eyes rolled and she said… she said Voldemort's servant was going to set out to return to him before midnight… she said the servant would help him come back to power. And then she sort of became normal again, and she couldn't remember anything she'd said. I think she was making a real prediction."

"Great," Draco moaned, "so I brought _Him_ back. At least my parents will be proud."

"That… That's not what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say is: I think this was destined to happen. I don't think this was anyone's fault. It would have happened, no matter what we did."

This somewhat calmed Draco. Pettigrew had, after all, gotten away the first time as well, so maybe it really wasn't his fault. And Sirius was getting a fair trial, which was something that had never happened the first time. So maybe he had made things better.

Madame Pomfrey examined all of them and although only Astoria had suffered something worse than a few scratches, all of them had to stay the night.

Draco couldn't fall asleep for a long time. He dreaded the next day. Dumbledore would have questions. Snape would have questions. The other Slytherins would have questions. The whole school, probably. And by the way he had been acting, Neville seemed to have some questions, too. He wasn't sure whether he would be able to answer people's questions or not. Or if he even wanted to answer them.

The events of the day had also shocked him quite thoroughly. Sirius had been caught, Astoria had been hurt, the time-turner was destroyed, and he had nearly killed a man. It took him a long time to fall asleep that night.

oooOOOooo

When Draco woke up the next morning, he looked around the room. He seemed to be the first one awake. He made his way over to Astoria's bed. She looked a lot better already. There were a few faint scars on her throat and looking at them made Draco angry again.

He turned away from her and found Professor Lupin looking at him.

"Good morning, Draco," he said hoarsely.

"Good morning, Professor," Draco nodded.

Remus Lupin did not look well. Scars and bruises covered his whole body. But what was worse, was the look on his face. He looked devastated.

"I fear I won't be your professor for much longer," he said.

"What? Why?"

"You have seen what happened yesterday. I can't risk this happening again. I endangered you and your friends. And it is my fault, Peter got away. As soon as I am out of here, I will resign."

"No! You can't do that. You are the best Defense teacher we ever had."

"Please don't resign," croaked a voice from behind Draco.

"Astoria! You are awake," Draco beamed.

"Morning," she smiled. She looked weak but not unhappy.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," she admitted. "But I'll be alright," she turned her gaze from Draco to Lupin. "Please don't resign, Professor. No one is blaming you for what has happened. And I won't tell anyone about… you know what."

"That is very sweet of you, but-"

"No," Draco interrupted him. "No buts. You will stay."

Remus looked at him. "I- I will think about it. And I will talk to the others. If they feel the same way as you two do, I will consider staying for the rest of the year."

Draco smiled. At last, some good news.

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers :)

oooOOOooo

By lunch time, they – with the exception being Astoria – were allowed to leave the infirmary.

While the others were heading for the Great Hall to eat, Neville had taken Draco aside and told him that they needed to talk.

They went into an abandoned classroom. Draco had a bad feeling about that. He could feel that Neville was mad.

"You cast the Cruciatus yesterday," Neville started straight away, his tone accusing, and Draco gulped. "You used the Cruciatus several times. An Unforgiveable."

"Neville-"

"You should be in Azkaban for that!" Neville shouted.

"You are right. What I did was wrong. And I am sorry. But I was just… so mad. I thought about everything he had done. The dead muggles. Potter's parents. Sirius. A-Astoria," his voice wavered. "I lost control."

"The curse… which was used on my parents… which drove them insane… You used it…" Neville shook his head, as if he could not believe what Draco had done.

Draco looked on the ground in shame. "I really am sorry. I shouldn't have done it."

"How do you even know that curse? Where have you learned it?"

"Uhm-"

"Don't lie to me. You might think I'm stupid, but I am not!"

"I- I don't think you are stupid. Uhm- my parents taught me."

"Your parents taught you – a 13 year old – how to use Unforgivables?" his eyes narrowed.

"Ehm… yes."

Neville laughed a humorless laugh. "Right. Did they also teach you the Killing Curse? That's what you were going to use next, right?"

Draco didn't say anything.

"Right?"

"I- I don't know. But if I had, I don't think it would have worked. I am not a killer."

"Are you sure? I think Harry and Ron were right. You've always hated us. You always hated Gryffindor and mudbloods. You were always strutting around, talking about that pureblood gibberish."

Draco flinched at his use of the word mudblood.

"I thought we were... I don't know, friends," Neville continued, "but maybe that was just my take on things and you were just lying to me and using me for some twisted plan of yours..."

"Nev, I-"

"On which side are you even on?" Neville asked, interrupting Draco and looking at him intently. "Were you really on Harry's side or were you secretly hoping Sirius was who everyone said he was and would kill Harry? I wouldn't have believed Sirius if you hadn't told me to. I would have told a teacher. Maybe you hoped he would kill Harry and me..."

That stung. "O- on yours. And on P- Harry's. We are on the same side, Neville."

"My side doesn't use the Cruciatus. People on my side don't use the Killing Curse, either. Or call people mudbloods. Or call _Him_ "Dark Lord"." He didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Snape is one of them too, isn't he?" Neville looked Draco right in the eyes.

"Huh?"

"A Death Eater. That's what everyone says he is. Is he?"

Draco didn't answer.

"Draco?"

"He is a good man. He helped us."

"Being good in one aspect of life doesn't make being bad in another okay!" he replied angrily. "And I am not sure what you mean by he is helping us. Helping us?" he pointed at Draco and then at himself, "or helping you and your Death Eater friends?"

"Come on, Neville. We are on the same side. We are friends."

"I thought we were friends. But it seems like there's a whole lot you haven't been telling me."

"That's not true!"

"I never quite got why you would all of a sudden want to be friends with me, of all people," Neville said, hurt and betrayal in his eyes. "Say, Draco: Did your parents also teach you how to cast nonverbally? Or how to perform stunners?"

Uh oh. Neville really was quite perceptive.

"I- ehm-" Draco stammered. He was so screwed.

"Don't lie to me! And I saw what Pettigrew took out of your pocket. Why do you have a time-turner, Draco?"

"I- I can't tell you that."

"Can't or won't?"

"Neville, please." Draco took a step towards Neville, but he took a step back.

"Tell me! Tell me, or I will tell Dumbledore about it. I will tell him everything!"

Draco didn't say anything, so Neville turned around to leave the room.

Draco pointed his wand at the door and it shut and locked within seconds.

"I can't let you do that, Neville."

Neville turned around, looking scared.

Draco had his want pointed at him and a million possibilities flew through Draco's head. Obliviate. Confundo. Lies. Things could be just the way they were. Neville could forget all that had happened and think that Draco was still the same old bastard that he used to be. Draco could be his original self again. It would definitely be easier. But when he looked at Neville, an innocent 13-year-old who had given him a chance even though there were a million things arguing against it, he knew that there was only one thing he could do.

Draco lowered his wand.

"You want the truth?" he said, his voice hoarse. "You are right. I hated mudbloods and blood traitors and everything Gryffindor. I worshiped the Dark Lord. And I became a Death Eater."

He did not want to hurt him, and, as crazy as it sounded, he wanted to be friends with Neville, the boy who gave him the benefit of the doubt. He also couldn't go back to the way things were. The thought alone made him feel sick. Of course he could have used his knowledge to become Voldemort's right hand man, but the thought sickened him and he just wasn't that kind of person anymore.

"What- what are you talking about?" Neville took a few steps back. "Voldemort is gone. You can't be a Death Eater!"

"I am not a Death Eater. I Was one. Tiny difference."

"I- I- Draco, I don't understand," he looked quite helpless.

"By the end of next year, the Dark Lord will return and I will become one of his followers. There will be a war. The Dark Lord will lose."

"How can you say this?"

"Because it already happened to me. You were right, I shouldn't be able to cast nonverbals or Unforgivables or even stunners. But I can. Because I am not 13 but already old enough to have my own children in Hogwarts. What I am trying to tell you, is this: I travelled back in time. Using the time-turner you saw, the one which is now destroyed."

"No! That's impossible. Time-turners don't go that far back."

"It's one of a kind. I don't know how it works. Nott built it, but we can't ask him because that won't happen for a few years…"

"You are lying!"

"Neville! Think about it. It makes sense. Why else would I suddenly change sides? Why else would I know spells I shouldn't know? Why else would I have a time-turner?"

Neville sat down on one of the chairs in the classroom, grabbing his head.

Draco took a step back and gave him some space and the time to think everything through.

Finally, Neville looked at him. Not scared anymore, but desperate. "So you lied to me?"

"I never lied to you. When you asked me why I helped you… I said it was because of a sick relative. Because losing people changes your perspective and makes you reevaluate things. Well, I lost people in the war. So many people died. Sirius died. Dumbledore died. Crabbe died. Lupin died… My future wife died. Not because of the war but because she was sick. I thought… I thought coming back I could save her. Find a solution and save her. That wasn't a lie."

Neville stared at him with an open mouth.

"I didn't plan to change anything but… things just happened. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that I will have to change things," Draco's voice was raw and full of emotions, "I... I can't become a Death Eater again. I- what I said earlier is true. I am not a killer. I tried but I just can't do it and I don't want to do it. I can't even pretend to be one of them anymore. I can't just let all these people die again if I know how to prevent it. I can't!" Draco started to hyperventilate.

"Calm down, Draco," Neville said worriedly.

"No! You have no idea what I have seen. What I have done. Every horrible thing you ever thought of me is true. I committed horrible crimes. My original self would have never wanted to be friends with you and he would have loved to see Sirius hurt Potter! I can't! I don't want to."

"Shhh," Neville moved closer to Draco, petting his back. "I believe you. It's okay."

Draco let out a sob. He hadn't known how desperately he needed to talk to someone about all of this and how close to the surface everything still was, even years later.

"Can- can you tell me about the future?" Neville asked.

Draco shook his head. "You'll hate me."

Neville thought about this for a while. "No. I won't hate you. You are clearly sorry for everything you did and you are trying to make things better."

Draco set down, not saying anything for a while. Then he looked at Neville. "What do you want to know?"

"Hmm… I don't know. Maybe start at when you arrived here and tell me what happened in the original time?"

Draco took a few breaths to collect his thoughts and to calm down somewhat.

"I arrived here a few hours before the Hogwarts Express left King's Cross," he began. "Originally, the Dementors only affected P- Harry on the train. All of Slytherin made fun of him for the rest of the year." He didn't mention that that included him. "One of the hippogriffs attacked me during our first CoMC class – I think they killed it later. Made Hagrid's lessons really boring… I wasn't there when Potter fell of his broom so he got hurt rather badly… Well, at the end of the year, Sirius fled, and no one believed the golden trio that he was innocent. Pettigrew got away, too. The year after that, Pettigrew brought the D- ehm-" Draco wasn't sure how he was supposed to call Voldemort now. " _Him_ back. Killed Cedric Diggory in the process."

"That guy on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah, him. Potter said that _He_ was back, but no one really believed him. Only when they- the Death Eaters – broke into the Ministry the next year, did they believe him. My aunt Bellatrix killed Sirius back then… Are you okay?"

Neville looked rather pale. "No, but it's fine. Continue."

"Ehm… Well, that's when the war started. My father got arrested, sent to Azkaban, because he failed to deliver the boy who lived. _He_ was quite angry with my father and wanted to punish me. He… he…"

Oh, how was he supposed to tell Neville that he was going to kill Dumbledore?

"I… I was supposed to…" he started to play with the hem of his robe, not looking at Neville. He stared into the distance. "I was supposed to kill Dumbledore."

Okay, he had said it. He closed his eyes, scared of what he would see on Neville's face. He was surprised to feel tears streaming down his cheeks again. "He told me," he croaked, "he told me that I had to do it or he would kill my family."

When Neville still didn't say anything, Draco looked at him. He looked sad and obviously pitied Draco, but he didn't see any disgust on his face.

"You know," Draco continued, "every horrible thing they tell you about him? He is way worse than that."

"He wanted you to fail, didn't he? I mean, you are quite clever, but killing Dumbledore?"

Draco let out a humorless laugh. "You'd be surprised. But yes, he wanted to punish my father and he knew I would do everything to protect my family. If I succeeded, good for him. If not... well he never expected me to succeed anyways so no loss, either... But I succeeded in letting Death Eaters into the school… I had Dumbledore unarmed… If I had used the curse, he would have been dead. But… I couldn't. I just couldn't."

"What happened then?"

"One of the others killed him."

Neville gasped and was shaking now. "Who?"

Draco shook his head.

"Draco, who?" Neville said, more urgently.

"I can't tell you. Please don't make me."

Neville looked at him for a few seconds. "It was Snape, wasn't it?"

Draco turned his head away, not saying anything.

"I knew it. I knew it all along. Why does Dumbledore trust him-"

"Wait! It's not like that. He was a spy. For him. Dumbledore was dying anyways and he didn't want me to become a killer, so he… And I think my mother had talked to Snape too… Dumbledore wanted Snape to kill him. A mercy killing for him and something that would guarantee Snape to become _His_ most trusted servant. Snape never wanted that… He looked so… I don't know, lifeless? Like an empty shell, after that day. But he did everything he could to protect the students at Hogwarts and bring down the Dark Lord."

Neville buried his head in his hands, not even bothering to comment on Draco calling Him the Dark Lord. "That's horrible."

"Oh this is only just the beginning. The Death Eaters took over the Ministry and Hogwarts after that… The killings began… It was really bad. But still, Potter won in the end. He vouched for me, after that. For me and my family. So we wouldn't go to Azkaban. I don't know why he did it. I didn't deserve it. I don't deserve any of this. A second chance…"

"You do. You regret what you did and you are making up for it. If anyone deserves the chance to right their wrongs, it's you."

Draco smiled at Neville. He was really happy that he had befriended this boy.

Neville didn't ask any more questions. But he did have something else to say.

"You need to tell Dumbledore."

Draco wanted to argue. Give excuses. But he knew that Neville was right. If he really wanted to do things right, he had to tell Dumbledore.

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Neville accompanied Draco to the stone gargoyle.

"This is it," Draco sighed.

"You can do it," Neville smiled at him encouragingly. "Do you want me to join you?"

He did, but he knew he had to do it alone.

"It's okay. Go and have lunch."

Neville left, and Draco turned towards the stone gargoyle, wondering what the password might be. But before he could finish his thought, the gargoyle stepped aside, making room for the spiraling staircase.

Fawkes sat on his perch, eyeing Draco with a look of curiosity and suspicion.

"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk. He did not seem surprised to see Draco. His sparking blue eyes were looking up from behind his half moon spectacles. "Please, have a seat."

Draco, however, remained standing. It felt as if it was only yesterday that he had seen the light in the old man's eyes fade away. Seeing the man again, slightly younger, and ignorant of his future, was a strange sight to behold.

His emotions made a loophole through his heart and mind.

"Would you like some tea, perhaps?"

Draco could have laughed. Tea? In a situation like this? But he found himself nodding in agreement and watched Dumbledore conjure up a teapot along with two mugs. As he poured them both a mug of hot tea, Draco gave in and sat down opposite of Dumbledore at his desk.

They both drank some of their tea in silence. Draco found himself relax a little, losing the tension that had been building up inside of him with each step on the spiraling staircase.

"I assume you are here to discuss last night's events?" Dumbledore asked, but Draco assumed he already knew that that wasn't the reason.

Draco had to drain his tea before he could muster the courage to open his mouth.

"N-no, sir," he couldn't even look at the man.

"Ah, perhaps then, your reasons for recently making a habit out of defying expectations?"

"I have been defying expectations?" he asked carefully.

"You most certainly have. In the best of ways, I might add." Draco couldn't see it, but he was sure that the old man's eyes were twinkling at him. "Outstanding performances in every subject. Mostly impeccable behavior. Cultivating inter-house friendships. Saving members of the opposing team during Quidditch matches. Helping those in need. And, of course, the undeniable habit of avoiding ever even glancing into my direction."

Draco perked up at the last bit of information. He was stunned at how perceptive the man was. He had underestimated him.

"Have I done something to antagonize you, Mr. Malfoy?"

"No, sir. It's… It's something I have done." Draco stared at the desk in front of him. When would this feeling of shame ever subside?

Draco looked up, right into those twinkling blue eyes and he couldn't help picturing in vivid details how those eyes had been pleading with his godfather. "Severus, please." And then, life leaving those blue eyes. Draco closed his eyes again, fighting tears and memories alike.

"If you are willing," Dumbledore said, "could you please explain to me, why you possess a memory of my death?"

So, he had invaded his mind. Draco hadn't even noticed.

"Because I watched you die, sir," Draco mumbled, looking up again, occluding heavily as to not think of that terrible night anymore. Dumbledore's eyes were not twinkling anymore, and his brows were furrowed. "In the future."

"Curious," Dumbledore muttered. "How did you manage to travel back in time?"

"A very powerful time-turner… It got destroyed yesterday."

"A shame," said Dumbledore.

"Indeed," agreed Draco.

"May I inquire why you have chosen to travel back in time?"

Draco looked out of the window. "My wife," he finally said. "She died. When I held in my hands the possibility to bring her back, to save her – how could I not?"

"And this is why you have visited me today?"

"No," Draco took a moment to order his thoughts, "if you were willing to help on this matter, though, I wouldn't say I couldn't use any help I can get… I am here, because I don't want to be a Death Eater. I want to help your cause. Do the right thing, for once."

"Voldemort will return?"

He tried not to flinch at the use of that name, but couldn't help himself. He nodded. "There will be another war."

"And, I assume, we were not on the same side, originally?"

Draco glared at him. As if he didn't know. "No," Draco huffed, "I wouldn't say so."

"What made you change your mind?"

Draco stared at him with an open mouth. "Have you met that lunatic?"

Draco thought he saw a faint smile tuck on the lips of the old man.

"I have had the pleasure. As such, I understand the sentiment." He smiled kindly at Draco. "How do you wish to proceed from here?"

Draco was stunned. He gave him a choice? "I don't know, sir. I will do whatever it takes. Whatever you see fit. Do with me what you will. If I must become a spy, I will do so."

Dumbledore looked contemplative.

"Actually, I was rather thinking you would not make a very good spy at all."

Was this an insult?

"In fact, you are, I believe, already full of useful information. The last place I wish to place you is within Voldemort's grasp."

Draco let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He smiled at Dumbledore.

"I also happen to already have one very effective spy," Dumbledore added.

"Severus," Draco said.

Dumbledore looked at him questioningly.

"It's common knowledge in my time. Potter made sure of that after the war."

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again. The last statement probably told him all he needed to know about the outcome of the second war.

"What becomes of your dear godfather?" Dumbledore asks.

Draco frowned. "He dies a most gruesome death by the hands of the Dark Lord."

Dumbledore's smile faltered. "I am sorry to hear that. I never wanted this to happen."

Draco nodded. He wasn't planning on letting that happen again.

They both stayed silent for a few minutes.

"The first thing I must ask of you, is that you let me into your mind."

What? Draco felt panic overcome him.

"I want all information regarding the upcoming war and how it will play out. But not just that. I ask you to give me everything you know. Show me everything you have. Even the most minute detail, even if you deem it unimportant."

"I-I am not sure, whether I am able to do this," Draco admitted, his voice hoarse.

"I understand how difficult this must be for you. Going through things you yourself haven't come to terms with, yet. But I believe it might be a healing experience for you."

Draco wasn't sure whether he could go through all of his memories without occluding. What if he broke down completely?

"Okay," he finally mumbled, feeling sick. He gazed out of the window again, trying to prepare himself for what was to come. He took a few deep breaths, then he stopped occluding and a wave of intense emotions overcame him. He struggled, tears at the corners of his eyes, but finally he looked back into Dumbledore's eyes, offering no resistance as the man entered his mind.

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Draco spent the whole afternoon with Dumbledore and only saw Neville again at dinner. He was waiting for him in front of the entrance to the Great Hall.

"How did it go?" he asked.

Draco was relieved to notice that Neville did not seem at all mad at him for all the lying and the confessions he had made.

"Pretty good," he smiled. "I'm totally exhausted, though. Had to show him all of my memories. Quite the draining experience, but I feel a lot better now."

Neville smiled too. "That's good. Is he going to do something about… You-Know-Who?" he whispered.

Draco just shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't really tell me what he's thinking or planning. He just listened to everything I had to say, and I showed him a few memories…"

"Draco!"

Both boys spun around to see a smiling Daphne approaching them. To Draco's immense surprise, she hugged him. He thought back on how the Golden Trio had become friends after the troll had attacked them in their first year. He overheard one of them saying that one can't go through a life and death situation together and not become friends. Now he knew what they had meant. His worries, that the whole affair with Sirius would damage his relationships had been unfounded. If they hadn't all been friends before, they definitely were now.

"I was so worried about you, when you didn't show up for lunch," Daphne said. She turned to Neville and smiled, "Hi, Neville." But then she turned back to face Draco and her smile dropped. "Where have you been? You left me completely alone with all the questions people had!"

"I'm sorry. Dumbledore wanted to speak to me." When would the lies ever stop, he asked himself. "What did you tell them?"

"Not much. But Weasley told the whole school how Sirius is innocent and how we were all attacked by Pettigrew and that we had to fight a serial killer, dementors and the beasts of the forest, all at once. Not sure if people believe him, though."

Draco snorted. Typical. That boy had always had the tendency to exaggerate his stories in a way that no one would believe him. At least none of the Slytherins and Ravenclaws.

He scratched his head. What did he want people to know? Or the Slytherins, for that matter.

"Can't you just tell them the truth?" Neville asked.

Daphne and Draco looked at each other and Draco frowned.

"That we helped Potter fight a supporter of You-Know-Who?" Daphne asked tentatively. "Not sure how that'll come across."

Neville looked at her, furrowing his eyebrows. "No. But you could say that you were attacked by a serial killer and then fought the guy who was responsible for His downfall."

Daphne stared at him, mouth agape. "Wow. We might make a Slytherin of you yet." She looked quite amused. "That might work. What do you think, Draco?"

Draco thought this over. It was an answer that wasn't too revealing. They weren't defying Voldemort but they also weren't supporting him with this answer and everyone could read into it what they wanted it to be. "I like it," he finally said.

They made their way into the Great Hall and Draco was greeted enthusiastically at the Slytherin table.

"Draco!" Crabbe yelled, happily. "You are back. And alive!"

Draco smiled. "Was that ever in doubt?"

"Rumors," Pansy shrugged. "Where have you been?"

"Infirmary, headmaster,…" he shrugged his shoulders. He looked at the stuff table. Dumbledore was twinkling in his direction and Snape was watching him, too. He didn't look wary or mad, but he was still watching him.

They ate in silence until Pansy couldn't keep it in anymore. "What happened? You have to tell us. I am pretty sure that half of the crap Weasley is rambling about never happened."

Draco looked at her, amused. "How would I know what he's been talking about?"

Pansy glared at him.

"Okay, okay," he looked at Daphne, who nodded her head. "After the prank I pulled on Gryffindor-"

"That was genius," laughed Theodore Nott and the others nodded in agreement.

"Was about time someone got back at those blasted twins. Pranked me five times already, this year," Crabbe grumbled.

"Well, I was with McGonagall and Snape," Draco continued, aware that the whole table was listening to his tale, and probably everyone else who sat close enough to listen, "when Lupin came in and told them that Daphne and Astoria were attacked by Black in the Forbidden Forest." That much was true. "So I went there to help them." Well, he was helping them. "There we figured out, that it wasn't Black who had worked for the Dark Lord, but Pettigrew, who was still alive."

"How did he do that?" Pansy asked.

"Illegal Animagus," answered Daphne. "The rat of the Weasel."

"Wait-" Pansy interrupted again, "he had a grown man in his room all the time? In his bed and in his pants and… and wait- there was a serial killer in our classroom the whole time?"

"Apparently. It's pretty weird if you think of it like that," Draco mused.

"Pretty damn weird if you ask me," said Nott.

"Why didn't he attack sooner," Pansy asked.

"I don't think he really supported any side of the war," Daphne said, "he's a coward who helped whoever he thought would win and he would have changed his allegiance again if things had looked differently. And he hid because neither side wants him. He betrayed Dumbledore, but he is also the reason why _He_ was defeated…"

Draco nodded his head in agreement.

"How did you get into the middle of this?" asked Millicent, looking at Daphne.

"Uhm-" Daphne hesitated for a second. "Astoria and I were close when Black confronted Pettigrew. Maybe he thought he could use us as hostages or that we would help him or something."

She was a good liar. Draco had to remember that.

"I don't know how the Gryffindorks found out about this, but somehow they always seem to get mixed up in that kind of stuff, so it isn't really that surprising," rambled Draco, "but they, us and the professors ended up in the Forbidden Forest, together with Black and Pettigrew."

"Oh, it was terrible," whined Daphne. "Pettigrew attacked Astoria. She was bleeding everywhere and I thought she would- I really-" she let out a sob and Pansy rubbed her back.

"It's okay," Pansy hushed her. "She is fine now."

They all had become quite fond of Astoria, so they looked rather shocked.

"Snape saved her," Draco continued. "She wouldn't have made it without him," he whispered quietly.

They all went silent for a while.

"What happened then?" asked Goyle.

"The dementors started to attack us, too. It was really a rather hopeless situation. Dumbledore saved the day, getting rid of the dementors. But Pettigrew got away and the Aurors got Black."

"Are they gonna kiss him?" asked Crabbe excitedly.

"I think," Draco said, "being a Black and all, he might get a trial."

That seemed to satisfy their curiosity, for the time being. Draco got to finish his meal in comfortable silence. When he got to his room later, he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

TBC

A bit of a filler, I know. I spent all day at university (and it is a Saturday so it was especially depressing) and then had to work all night and only had little time to write.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions how the story could go on, I am open for suggestions.

Have a great weekend, everyone.


	31. Chapter 31

**A.N.**

 _Thank you for all the lovely reviews. Each and everyone of them made me smile and they really do keep me motivated to keep writing and posting every day._

 _I am also rather happy with how things are going. I'm trying to do things differently than most time travel fics I have read so far, and I have read a lot. This is also one of the reasons why I chose Draco for this story. There aren't a lot of time travel fan fictions evolving around him (there are tons about Harry, Severus and Hermione). He has also gone through some major developments, which make him interesting to write. He doesn't know everything and isn't perfect, which is also nice. He knows enough to be able to change things but not enough to do it without any problems. And I like when things could have theoretically happened and the thought that the Draco from the play used his time-turner to go back and save Astoria is not too outlandish, I hope._

 _I also try to not just retell what happened in the books. It is also really important to me, that things aren't just going smoothly. I want the story to stay interesting, exciting and unpredictable for a long time._

 _I think that Draco has the mind of a grown up but that his body and the hormones and everything also make him a bit of a teenager._

 _I am trying to improve my writing and right now I am focusing on the "show, not tell" aspect. I want to show the theory behind time travel (I have thought about that a lot and I have worked out a neat theory that makes sense so there shouldn't be any huge logical mistakes in the story regarding that) and tackle the philosophical questions through the way the story progresses and the way the people act and not by explicitly stating them._

 _But enough about me, as always: Read, enjoy and review :)_

oooOOOooo

The next day was a Monday and Draco was in no mood to go to classes. Was that why Potter had always waited for the last week of school to go on his stupid adventures? Draco just wanted to roll over and bury his head in his pillow. But his first period that day was Potions and he did not want to anger Snape, so he fought his way out of bed.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. That was, until the owls flew in with the morning post, dropping the Daily Prophet in front of many students, Draco included. He shooed the bird away to finish his porridge. The chatter around him increased, but he didn't mind.

"Draco," Pansy elbowed him.

"Wha-?" he asked, his mouth full of porridge.

Pansy motioned her fork towards the paper in front of him. Draco could only see part of the headline:

 **SIRIUS BLACK C-**

To read the rest, he had to unfold the paper. Draco almost choked on his porridge and hastily opened the newspaper.

 **SIRIUS BLACK CAUGHT, CLAIMS INNOCENCE** (24 January 1994)

BY E. LIMUS

 _Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, and who escaped 6 months ago, eluding capture although even Muggles were on the lookout, was caught Saturday night at Hogwarts by two Professors. Surprisingly, Black claims to be innocent. A claim, which is supported by several, highly influential, wizards, such as Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Harry Potter, the boy who lived._

 _The Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who has been criticized for how he has handled the situation so far, said that Black, although he believes him to be dangerous, powerful and vindictive, deserves a proper trial. The trial is set for August. In the meantime, Black will be held in a high security holding cell at the ministry._

Draco only skimmed the rest of the article. It summarized what supposedly happened roughly 13 years ago and gave a distorted version of the events at Hogwarts, not mentioning Pettigrew.

All things considered, he was quite happy with the article. It didn't sound like Sirius was innocent and it wasn't completely accurate, but it meant that his parents had succeeded and Sirius would get a trial. And if he, his parents, Dumbledore, Lupin and Potter would testify, there was surely no way they would find him guilty. He succeeded in convincing Snape, who hated Black – how much harder could a bunch of people in the Wizengamot be?

Draco looked over at the Gryffindor table and saw that most people had their heads buried in the paper, too. Neville looked over and he flashed him a smile.

He then looked at the head table. Dumbledore seemed rather happy with himself. Snape looked grim.

Potions was okay. Draco had worked with Crabbe, which had been a stupid idea to begin with, because he almost blew the whole class into tiny bits and pieces. But other than that, it was rather normal.

Draco decided to be pro-active concerning the relationship he had with his godfather and stayed in the classroom after the lesson was over.

"Professor?"

Snape looked at him but Draco couldn't read his expression. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to apologize."

"Whatever for?" Snape asked evenly.

Draco walked closer to the desk Snape was sitting at. "Lying."

Snape nodded his head. "You did what you thought was the right thing to do. However, I do hope that you know that you could have talked to me about this."

"I know," Draco said, dropping his head. "I thought I could deal with this on my own. But I couldn't. And Black said you hated him, so I wasn't sure if you would believe him. I should have told you. I should have asked you for help. I am sorry."

Snape scrutinized him. "He isn't wrong. I do indeed hate him. But this wouldn't have stopped me from helping you."

"Why do you hate him so much?" Draco asked.

Snape's look darkened.

"I am sorry, sir," Draco immediately said. "I shouldn't have asked. It is none of my business."

Snape let his eyes wander through the classroom, not directly looking at Draco. "I assume you have heard what Potter said... I nearly died during my time at school. It was due to a prank," he snorted at the last word, "Black played on me."

"What did he do?" Draco asked, anger in his voice.

"He goaded me into the Shrieking Shack during a full moon," Snape replied coolly.

"Lupin," Draco gasped, realization dawning on him.

"That would be correct," Snape nodded his head.

"But- that's- Why didn't he get suspended?" Draco asked, feeling rightful indignation on his godfather's behalf.

Snape shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't the only thing he did, but definitely the most relevant for my dislike towards him."

"But that was attempted murder!" Draco felt anger surge through him as his body tensed. "Once I have saved Sirius' ass from the dementors, I'll give it a solid kick," Draco growled. For a few seconds, Draco was really mad on his godfather's behalf, but his anger was also mingled with confusion. Sirius could be an idiot, but a murderer? _But hadn't he wanted to kill Pettigrew_ , his mind supplied. But then Draco thought about Sirius' impulsive behavior, the time he just appeared in his room over Christmas... his shoulders slumped, as he realized that that was just who Sirius was.

"Sir, I don't think he meant to kill you," Draco carefully began, knowing that defending Sirius might upset his godfather. "He is... just an idiot, he can't help it. A huge, bullheaded, intolerant idiot, but still."

Snape raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I thought, after trying to help him for over a semester, you would be fonder of him."

"Oh, I do like him," _most of the time_ , Draco mentally added, "but he is an idiot. He never thinks anything through. He only thinks short-term, never long-term. And he is very impulsive. Typical Gryffindor, really. Got me in trouble a lot although I'm sure he didn't mean to. It is not that he did not care that I could get into trouble - or even get killed... He just... didn't think about it. It never even crossed his mind that his actions might have consequences. So, although his behavior towards you is inexcusable, and I will give him a piece of my mind once all of this is over, I don't think he actually meant for anything truly bad to happen to you."

Snape considered this for a while.

"You know," Draco continued, "it might seem like a clever assassination attempt to a Slytherin, but a Gryffindor is just not capable to come up with such a cunning plan."

Draco thought he couldn't believe his eyes, when something close to a smile tucked at his godfather's lips. "Perhaps," he said, amused. "What kind of trouble did he get you in?"

"Tons," Draco frowned. "I didn't invite him to stay at my place over Christmas, he was just suddenly there! He never thought about how much trouble I would be in if someone found him. Or that my parents would have killed him without a second thought had they found him in my room. And the Polyjuice thing – obviously not my idea, either. I very nearly died of a heart attack when you visited us... And when he just broke into Gryffindor... without any kind of plan and a freakin' _knife_ , I thought I would kill him myself."

Snape chuckled. "I can see what you mean."

"Honestly, I think the reason he didn't get sorted into Slytherin was because he possesses none of the qualities we value... But he is loyal. And brave. And smart – I mean, he broke out of Azkaban and he became an Animagus, after all. These are not easy things to do. And he didn't do them for selfish reasons either. And he defied his family even though that meant they would throw him out and disown him. He can be a bully and an idiot... and he might need to see a mind healer... but he does have his good qualities as well-"

Snape looked pensive. He then pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled something on it.

"You should go to your next class, Draco," he handed him the piece of parchment. "Here is a note for Lupin."

"Thanks," Draco smiled, but didn't leave immediately. "I also came to say thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for respecting my privacy even though you had every reason to distrust me. Thank you for speaking on Sirius' behalf even though you don't like him. And thank you for saving Astoria. She- she would have died if you hadn't been there."

Snape looked at Draco for a long time, his expression unreadable. "Anytime Draco."

TBC

I honestly had no idea where this chapter was going when I started writing it. Up till one chapter ago, I knew exactly where the story was heading. I also know what some of the future chapters are going to look like. But the in-between? Not so much. But I knew that Draco would need to talk to Snape at one point and I like the way it turned out.

I never really liked Sirius because I always, just like Snape, thought that he was a cold-blooded murderer who felt no regret for what he did but while writing him in this story, I came to understand, just like Draco, that this is just how he is. He didn't mean any harm. He is just very short-sighted and impulsive. So in a way, this chapter mirrors my own process of understanding Sirius. I don't need to bash either of them for the story to work. I am quite fond of him now so maybe Snape will get over his hatred, too. But there is still a long way to go.

As always, let me know what you think.


	32. Chapter 32

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Draco was quite content after the talk he had had with Snape. Maybe everything really would work out for the best. Snape had had accepted his apology and Draco was hoping that he might even warm up to Sirius, because if he could manage it, he would really like to have both men in his life. Even though he was still mad at Black. The attempted murder was both baffling but at the same time also seemed like something typically Sirius. He didn't only endanger himself but the people around him, too. And for all the talk about tolerance, Sirius was full of prejudice. Oh, they really needed to have a word. Or several. Maybe he'd even give Dumbledore a piece of his mind.

Draco shook his head – there was no use in dwelling on it now. Sirius wasn't here and he probably wouldn't see him before the summer holidays.

He was a bit late for DADA, but with the slip Snape gave him, Lupin didn't mind. He, although his transformation had been horrible, looked happier than usually as well and flashed Draco a warm smile when he entered the room.

After lunch, Draco visited Astoria in the Infirmary.

She was sitting on one of the beds, eating lunch, when he walked in.

"Hi," he greeted.

Astoria's eyes shut up to see who had come in and lightened up when she saw it was Draco.

"Draco," she greeted happily, putting her food on a little table next to her bed.

"How are you?"

"Pretty good, actually. I don't know why they're still keeping me here."

Draco gave her a once-over. True to word, Astoria did look a lot better than she had the last time Draco had seen her.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into all of-" he said.

"Oh no, stop it right there," she interrupted. "Daphne and I chose to help you, knowing how dangerous it was. You are not responsible for our decisions and you are not responsible for anything that happened that night."

Draco smiled at her. Things really were looking up.

"Besides," she continued, "I think the Ravenclaws like me better now. Some of them even came to visit me."

"No better way to convince someone you aren't evil than chasing after a lunatic serial killer," Draco chuckled.

"That's how Potter does it, too. Seems to work for him," she said and they both laughed.

"Who else visited you?" Draco asked, once he had calmed down.

"Luna was here and most of the Slytherins we always study with. And Neville. That's it, I think. Professor Snape checked in on me. Making sure my wounds are healing properly. And the headmaster came by, too." She sounded rather excited.

Draco was happy Astoria was making friends.

"That's nice. You already have more friends than I ever did in my first year."

"Hmm I think I have Daphne and you to thank for that."

Draco's face turned more serious. "If you ever want to talk about any of this, don't hesitate to come to us. We're here for you."

Astoria considered this for a while. "Thanks, Draco."

"I brought a deck of cards. Wanna play Exploding Snap?" Draco asked, to lighten the mood again.

Astoria nodded excitedly.

They played until Draco had to leave for Care of Magical Creatures.

oooOOOooo

Astoria was allowed to leave the Infirmary the next day and Daphne and Pansy decided that their group should spend the night in the library, so Astoria could join them again.

"Welcome back," greeted Theodore Nott enthusiastically.

"It's good to see you again," agreed Tracey, smiling warmly at the young girl.

"It's good to be back," she smiled.

"How are you feeling?" asked Goyle.

"Really good, actually. There is something about nearly dying that makes you appreciate being alive."

"True that," chuckled Draco.

They were all sitting in the library, but not one of them wanted to study. The talked and played games and ate sweets instead.

After the third time Madame Pince shushed them, Draco cast a quick and silent Muffliato, which thankfully, no one really noticed.

"They really need a common room for everyone in this castle," complained Daphne.

The others nodded in agreement. The library was literally the only place outside of classrooms and the Great Hall that students from different houses could use to meet. At least, the Dementors were gone, so the weather would probably soon increase and they could all go outside for a change.

But staying close to Pince was rather annoying. That woman was omnipresent and strict. Draco still remembered something she had said to him in his first year:

"A warning: If you rip, tear, shred, bend, fold, deface, disfigure, smear, smudge, throw, drop, or in any other manner damage, mistreat, or show lack of respect towards this book, the consequences will be as awful as it is within my power to make them."

He, to this day, believed that an earmark could mean expulsion.

"Since we were just talking of everyone," Daphne started carefully, "should we ask him," she motioned her head in the general direction of Neville Longbottom, who was sitting alone at one of the tables, "if he wants to sit with us."

Draco had had noticed him, too, but hadn't wanted to draw any more attention to himself by suggesting it first. He was quite glad that Daphne did.

"But he is a," Pansy wrinkled her nose, "Gryffindor."

"An obvious miss sorting," said Millicent.

"He is a pureblood, I guess," said Nott, shrugging his shoulders.

"A Gryffindor and a blood traitor, that's what he is," huffed Crabbe.

"He helped us the other night," said Astoria. "I'd like him to sit with us."

She had become more self-confident since the start of the semester, Draco mused. He nodded his head in agreement. "I don't mind. He kept Pettigrew from smashing my nose."

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled at that and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Fine," Pansy finally said. "If you guys think it's a good idea, I am willing to give it a try."

She stalked over to Longbottom and Draco cancelled his Muffliato charm.

"Longbottom," Pansy greeted him.

Neville looked up from the big herbology book in front of him.

"Huh?"

"Do you want to sit with us?" she asked directly.

"W-what?"

Pansy was losing her patience so Draco just indicated his head that he should come over, which he did.

"Thanks," Neville muttered into the round.

Pansy, for the most part, ignored him. But it was obvious that Daphne and Astoria wanted him there.

And just like that, Neville became part of their odd group. It took half of the semester for all of them to get used to him, but they did.

TBC

I'm sorry, guys. I know it's a bit short and not one of my best chapters. It is only Monday and I already know that my week is going to be horrible. But I still wrote my daily chapter and I will continue to write one every day till the end of November and hopefully at least two weeks into December.

As always, let me know what you think. I love reviews and I love to know what you are thinking.


	33. Chapter 33

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

The rest of the semester passed quickly and thankfully, uneventfully. Their group, now also including Neville, met quite often, but Draco also met with Neville on his own, to work towards finding cures for Neville's parents and Astoria.

During the last week of the semester, Dumbledore called him into his office.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy. Please, have a seat," was the first thing Dumbledore said when Draco entered his office. "Would you like some tea?"

"Ehm- yes, sir," he said while sitting down in front of the headmaster.

Dumbledore conjured some tea, not saying much else.

"Is this about Sirius?" Draco finally asked, having no idea why he was summoned.

"No," Dumbledore said, "but perhaps you would like to hear that things are going well, we are using all the resources at our disposal – as is your mother as I have been told - and I expect him to be freed of all charges at the trial in August."

That was good to hear.

"What then," asked Draco, "do you want to talk to me about?"

"I would like you to tell me how Harry was able to kill Lord Voldemort."

Draco flinched at the use of the name.

"Haven't I already told you?" he asked, but then added a "Sir," because he did not want to sound disrespectful.

"In our first meeting we have focused on the most important memories and the bigger picture. The gist of things, if you will. Now I would like to know more about the details."

Letting out a slow breath, Draco began to retell what happened during the battle. "Potter killed him by deflecting the Dark Lord's Avada Kedavra, so that it rebounded and destroyed him."

"Pleased try not to occlude," said the headmaster. Draco hadn't even noticed that he had. He just didn't want to relive that day. "We need every detail you can remember. It will be easier for you to remember if you do not occlude."

He gulped and lowered his mental shields, breathing slowly and deeply.

Memories of a bloody, disheveled boy flashed before his eyes and how the black-robed enemy finally fell. Then another memory flashed before his eyes.

"He used my wand," Draco said, remembering the shock of seeing it in Potter's hands. "And he told the Dark Lord that he was the master of the Elder Wand."

"Really?" Dumbledore did not seem very surprised. "The Elder Wand is just a myth."

"Well, neither Potter nor the Dark Lord thought so. And neither do you," his eyes darted towards the wand of Dumbledore, which was lying on the table. "That's it, right there."

"Is that so?" asked Dumbledore, glancing down at his own wand.

"Stop that," huffed Draco.

"My apologies, Mr. Malfoy. I wasn't aware anyone knew about the dark history of my wand."

"Well, no one does know… yet. The only reason I do is because I already knew half the story when Potter told it."

"Because you were given the task of killing me?"

Draco flinched. Would he ever get over this? He slowly nodded his head, not looking the headmaster in the eyes.

"I successfully disarmed you that night," said Draco.

"That made you the master of the Elder Wand?" Dumbledore asked, not fazed by the topic of their discussion.

"That's what Potter said," said Draco. "But the Dark Lord thought that the person who killed you was the master of the Elder Wand."

"So he killed Professor Snape?" asked Dumbledore evenly.

Draco inhaled sharply. How could he just say things like that? Didn't he care at all?

"Yes," croaked Draco. "He should have killed me. I was the master of the Elder Wand. At least, until Potter disarmed me."

"Ah, so Lord Voldemort tried to kill Harry with a wand which was not loyal to him but his supposed victim?" asked Dumbledore, examining his own wand. "This is very useful information. Is there anything else you can tell me about that night?"

Draco considered this. There was something else. "Potter had been searching for something. In the Room of Hidden Things. A tiara."

"A tiara?" asked Dumbledore, leaning forward, giving Draco his full attention.

The memory flashed before his eyes, filling him with the same terror he had felt when it had happened. The fire, Crabbe… He and Goyle had been slumped hopelessly on the floor in the corridor in front of the burning Room of Hidden Things. Mourning their fallen friend. They both hadn't had any wands and had just been saved from the fire by the golden trio. Even though they had tried to kill them, they still risked their lives to save Draco and Goyle. Something, Draco would eternally be grateful for.

 _"_ _Harry, what's that on your arm?"_

 _"_ _What? Oh yeah –"_

 _It had been a tiara of sorts. It had been blackened with soot. A bloodlike substance, dark and tarry, leaked out of it. It vibrated violently and then broke apart, letting out a scream of pain._

 _"_ _It must have been the Fiendfyre!" whimpered Hermione._

 _"_ _Sorry?"_

"A horcrux. They were looking for a Horcrux," Draco suddenly said.

He could see Dumbledore's face fall.

"What do you know about Horcruxes?" he asked sternly.

Draco didn't know why, but Dumbledore's voice made him uncomfortable. "Nothing. No idea what they are. But I remember Granger saying _"Fiendfyre – cursed fire – it's one of the substances that can destroy Horcruxes…"_ or something like that."

"Do you know of any other objects that Harry might have been searching for?" he asked urgently.

"No," Draco said, confused. What were Horcruxes? "Oh, wait. Granger said something about a snake right after she said that about the Horcruxes… I guess she meant the pet snake of the Dark Lord. Nagini," Draco shuddered. What a vile creature that was. "And they broke into Gringotts a few days before the final battle. I think they stole something from my aunt's vault," he thought some more, "that's all I know."

Dumbledore stayed silent for a while, going through all of this information. There was a gleam in his eyes that unsettled Draco.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That was some very useful information."

He pondered it some more but didn't say anything.

"Do you have any problems adapting?" Dumbledore finally asked, changing the topic.

"Not really. Classes are really simple, but I can't deny that I have forgotten a thing or two, so the revision doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would."

"I am glad to hear that," said Dumbledore. "If you need anything, let me know. You may return to your dormitory now."

Draco stood up to leave, but then stopped in his tracks. "Don't you want to tell me what these… Horcruxes… are?"

"In due time. You do not have to worry yourself with things like these, right now."

Draco nodded his head. "I am not really a child, you know? You can tell me."

"I would like to do some investigating before I explain. Let's talk again at the beginning of next semester."

"Alright. But you are planning to do something about it, right?"

There was this annoying twinkling again. "Yes. But don't worry about that now."

Draco felt a bit irritated. He should be happy he didn't have to bring down the Dark Lord on his own, but the old man didn't seem to understand that if he wanted to change things for the better, they needed to work together.

"Well, at least I won't have to worry about the things which originally happened next year, since Professor Lupin hasn't resigned."

Dumbledore looked at Draco. "Actually, and I am sorry to say that, he has handed in his resignation this morning."

"What?" Draco nearly yelled. "Why?"

"That, I am afraid, you must ask him yourself. He is, I believe, in his office, packing."

Draco didn't even hear his last words as he had already stormed out of the office.

TBC

Hmmm, finally a bit more action. What do you think?


	34. Chapter 34

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Draco hurried out of Dumbledore's office. This couldn't be true. Lupin couldn't do this. He couldn't just resign.

Lupin's office door was open. He had already packed most of his things. The grindylow's empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something on his desk and looked up only when Draco stormed in.

"I saw you coming," said Lupin, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he had been poring over. It was the map Snape had had confiscated from Potter. He must have given it to Lupin after their confrontation, probably believing it to be dark magic. Or maybe he just knew that Lupin had been one of the Marauders.

"You can't do this-" Draco started, but was startled by a knock on the door. Harry Potter walked into the room.

Draco and Harry looked at each other. Potter looked quite surprised, but then he turned towards Lupin and said, "I just saw Hagrid and he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?"

"I am afraid it is," said Lupin. He started opening his desk drawers and taking out the contents.

"No," Draco yelled. "You can't do that."

"I am sorry, Draco. But my decision is final."

"Why?" asked Harry. "The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?"

Draco pointed his wand at the door and it closed immediately. Lupin nodded in his direction.

"No. They believe that Severus and I saved you and captured Sirius."

"Is it because of what happened?" Draco asked. "We aren't blaming you for anything that happened."

Lupin looked wistful. "I could have bitten any of you… That must never happen again. But it is also not the reason I am leaving. Sirius will have his trial at the end of August. If he loses, I need to be there to lodge an appeal. And if he wins, I will need to help him start a new life."

"Can't you do that _and_ teach at Hogwarts?" Potter asked.

Lupin shook his head.

"Did Dumbledore tell you to do this?" asked Draco.

"No," Lupin smiled. "This is my own decision and one I fully stand behind."

"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" said Harry and Draco found himself nodding in agreement. "Don't go!"

"I'm truly sorry, boys. But I have always expected that my time here would come to an end sooner or later."

"Why?" asked Draco.

"Have you ever had a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for longer than a year?" he asked.

They both shook their heads.

"Well, neither had I during my time at Hogwarts. It is quite curious. I am just glad I did not end up like some of my predecessors have."

Draco had heard rumors that the Dark Lord had cursed the position, but he never gave it much merit.

Lupin continued packing his things. "I am quite proud of you two and your friends. You worked together to save an innocent man. You uncovered the truth. You overlooked the prejudices of the different houses to do what is right. You have learned so much…" Lupin looked proudly at Harry, "you learnt how to conjure a Patronus."

"What?" asked Draco. "I want to see."

Harry looked unsure but Lupin nodded reassuringly.

"Expecto Patronum!" a brilliant white stag jumped from the tip of his wand.

Draco looked at it, mesmerized.

"Wow," he whispered, trying to touch the animal but it disappeared. "That was really awesome."

"Your father's was a stag, too," Lupin mused. "I would say, by learning to conjure a Patronus, you found your father inside of yourself."

Harry smiled proudly, but then his face faltered. "It didn't make any difference, though. Pettigrew got away."

Lupin looked sullen. "That's my fault, I am afraid."

"It's just as much your fault as it is mine," Draco muttered. "I stopped you from killing him. If _He_ comes back, it will be my fault."

"Stop," said Lupin. "You did a very noble thing. He owes you his life. If You-Know-Who returns, and it would be no fault of either of us, he would have a servant in debt of you. There will be a day you'll be very glad you saved his life."

Draco gave this some thought. If Potter was right and this would have happened anyways, then having the treacherous little rat indebted to him was probably the best possible outcome. And he was not only owing his life to Draco, but also to Astoria, Daphne and Neville. Neville more so than the others, as he had saved him again when he had stopped Draco from attacking him.

"Here," Lupin handed Harry the Marauder's Map. "I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving this back to you. It's of no use to me but I daresay you will find uses for it."

Harry took the map and grinned.

"Your father would be proud of you," he said.

There was a knock on the door and Harry hastily stuffed the Marauder's Map into his pocket.

It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to see either of the two boys standing there.

"Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," he said.

"Thank you, Headmaster."

Lupin picked up his old suitcase and the empty grindylow tank.

"Well – good-bye, boys," he said, smiling. "It has been a real pleasure teaching you. I am sure we'll meet again soon. Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage…"

Draco had the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

"Good-bye then, Remus," said Dumbledore soberly. They shook hands and with a smile and a nod into their direction, Remus Lupin was gone.

Draco sighed.

"Why so sullen?" Dumbledore asked them.

"Lupin's gone," Harry complained. "And who knows who'll be our Defense teacher next year. Probably a vampire or something."

Draco chuckled. "Would probably still be better than Quirrel and Lockhart combined."

That made Potter laugh.

"Now boys, I am sure you will be most pleased with my choice for a Defense Professor," said Dumbledore.

"Who will it be?" asked Draco, hoping it wasn't Moody or Umbridge. But Dumbledore wouldn't say, only twinkled at them.

Harry and Draco left the office soon after.

"So, how long have you known about Sirius?" Harry asked him.

"Since a bit before Christmas," Draco admitted. "Neville and I were- ehm- serving detention in the Forbidden Forest, when we found him by accident. We tried to catch the rat, but it didn't really work out that well," he laughed. "He sent you a Firebolt for Christmas, by the way."

"Oh, that was him? Got to tell Hermione that she was right. She turned it in to McGonagall and I didn't get it back for quite some time."

Draco chuckled, "Sounds like her."

Harry stopped and looked at Draco warily. He probably still didn't know what to make of him.

"Bye, Draco," he finally said.

"Bye – Harry."

TBC

Third year is coming to an end. I am quite excited for their fourth year because 1) it has always been my favorite book and 2) I have tons of ideas on what to with it. It's gonna be quite the year.

As always, I would like to hear what your thoughts are :)


	35. Chapter 35

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

When Draco arrived in the Great Hall on his last day at Hogwarts, the hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning of the house cup. This was largely thanks to their spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.

Take that, Gryffindor, Draco thought happily.

The Slytherin table was, unsurprisingly, the noisiest of them all. Everyone celebrated. Even Draco managed to relax as he ate, drank, talked, and laughed with the rest.

"I am so excited," Theodore Nott told Draco eagerly. "This is going to be the best summer ever!"

Draco looked at him, uncomprehending.

"Hello? It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer!" he continued.

"Oh, yeah."

"Oh? Yeah? You've been studying too much, mate. Have lost contact to the real world."

That was not untrue, Draco had to admit.

"Will you be there?" Theo asked.

"Definitely," Draco said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as he possibly could.

"I hope England will make it into the finals," he said.

"Wanna bet?" Draco asked, amused.

"You think they won't?"

"I think no team from Great Britain will make it into the finale," Draco said. It wasn't really fair, as he already knew who'd win, but who cared.

"No way! The bet is on," he extended his hand, and Draco shook it, grinning.

Theodore Nott was a lot more outgoing than Draco remembered. But maybe it was just because Nott had never been a Death Eater and just never felt confident talking freely around Draco before.

oooOOOooo

The Hogwarts Express left Hogsmeade the next morning. He was in a compartment with Nott, Pansy, Daphne, Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco watched the Scottish countryside roll by while his friends discussed the Quidditch World Cup. Once or twice he voiced his own thoughts, but the whole thing wasn't really as exciting if one already knew who would win.

"Not a bad year, huh, Draco?" Daphne asked him after an hour on the train.

Draco chuckled. "If you call being attacked by Dementors on the train, falling off a broom and almost being killed by a lunatic "not bad", then yeah, it was a good year."

"If you'd told me this time last year that I'd be on speaking terms with a Ravenclaw and a Gryffindor, I'd probably have shoved you into the lake," admitted Pansy.

The others laughed.

"I wonder what your father will have to say about you helping Black," Nott mused.

"Well, at least I have my mother on my side," Draco smiled, but he had worried about that, too.

oooOOOooo

Draco stepped off the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross, looking around for his family. He saw Blaise's mother waiting to pick him up, and he helped him pick up his luggage from the cart. He waved good-bye to his Slytherin friends and talked to the parents of the Greengrass sisters.

"Hello, Mrs. Greengrass," Draco said.

"Hello, Draco," Mrs. Greengrass said. "I heard good things about you from my daughters." Astoria and Daphne looked sheepish.

"Bye, Draco," said Daphne.

"Have a nice summer," added Astoria, before heading off with her parents.

Draco waved Neville good-bye and was surprised that the golden trio waved into his direction, earning them a suspicious glance from Arthur Weasley.

He finally found his father, who was lost in a conversation with someone. But when he saw his son, he shook hands with that person and turned towards his son.

"Draco," he greeted him warmly.

"Father," Draco smiled.

They apparated to their home in Wiltshire.

Draco found his mother buried in books on legal matters. She barely noticed that Draco was back home.

"Don't take it personally," his father said. "She's been like that since… you know," he waved his hand and Draco nodded.

Draco went to his room but found it kind of lonely without Sirius there. He moved to the library, determined to find out what Horcruxes were. The library of Malfoy manor was huge and included an extensive collection of books on the Dark Arts.

He looked through several books but couldn't find anything. Only when he skimmed through Magick Moste Evile did he find something, but only one sentence:

"Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction."

"Great," Draco muttered. That wasn't helping much. At least now he knew that he needed to look into the Darkest book in the collection, Secrets of the Darkest Art – well, at least the Darkest in their library. Draco suspected that his father had even darker books hidden somewhere not even his family could find them.

Draco's stomach churned when he opened the book. If Horcruxes where in that specific book then he probably really didn't want to know what they were. But he had no choice, if he wanted to stop Voldemort.

A knock on the door startled him and he threw the book into a corner and hastily grabbed one from one of the other shelfs, sitting down in an armchair, book in his lap.

"Draco?" his father asked.

"Yes?"

Lucius Malfoy entered the room. "Here you are. I have been looking for you."

Draco nodded his head. "I have been here for a while. Been reading a bit."

"I just wanted to tell you that we have to postpone our vacation this year," he said.

"We are not going to Venice?" Draco huffed. They always went to Italy during the summer.

"I am afraid not. At least not now. Your mother seems to be otherwise preoccupied."

Lucius Malfoy did not look happy, but Draco knew that he would do everything to make his mother happy.

"Will you join us for dinner?" he then asked.

"Ehm- can I eat here? I'd like to finish my book," Draco improvised. He couldn't really say that he didn't like to eat at the dining table because he always had to think of the people that had been tortured and murdered there and that he'd rather read books on the Dark Arts.

"Is your book that captivating?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yes. Page-turner," Draco said.

Lucius reached for the book and turned it around. He looked at Draco, amused. "The Tales of Beedle the Bard? Aren't you a bit old for this?"

"Ehm- I- ehm-" Draco stammered.

„I'll leave you to it, then," his father said, smirking, and stood up. "I'll tell one of the house elves to bring you dinner."

"Thanks," Draco muttered, before his father left the room.

Draco looked disdainfully at the children's book and went to pick up Secrets of the Darkest Art again.

He began reading and began to feel sick when he first read the word "immortality". Voldemort – immortal? But it didn't get any better. The process of creating a Horcrux made Draco's skin crawl. He had to stop reading to recollect himself several times. When he had finished reading it, he threw the book into the fireplace.

Sitting in a huge armchair, he pulled his knees up and slung his arms around them, watching the blasted thing burn.

Draco looked at the children's book, still lying on a little table next to him, again. A tale from Beedle the Bard that his mother had always told him when he was a toddler came to his mind. The Warlock's Hairy Heart. It was about a warlock who thought emotions were a weakness and subsequently cut his own heart out. That's what Voldemort had done – gotten rid of what made him human.

So, to kill Voldemort, they had to find and destroy his Horcrux… or Horcruxes. Draco shuddered. One of those things was already vile enough. But more than one?

It couldn't be too many, as Potter had succeeded in destroying them all in about one year. He must have as he was able to defeat Voldemort for good.

There was the tiara, Draco thought. And the snake, that's what they had been talking about in front of the Room of Hidden Things. But that Horcrux probably didn't exist. Yet.

Then something in his aunt's vault. Draco couldn't imagine Potter risking a stunt like breaking into Gringotts unless there was at least one Horcrux inside.

Draco thought about it some more. Maybe the book his father had given to one of the Weasleys? The Dark Lord had most certainly been fuming when he found out what had happened to it. He didn't know what had happened with it but suspected that what had happened at the end of his second year had something to do with it.

Once in bed, Draco couldn't fall asleep for a long time. He felt frustrated. He needed to talk to Dumbledore, but probably wouldn't be able to before the start of the next school year. I was starting to suspect that the following year would not be any less exciting and dangerous than the one he had just finished.

TBC

End of year 3. And it's the last day of November! I have written and uploaded one chapter every day for the whole month! Quite proud of myself. I won't promise that I'll keep on writing a chapter per day, but I'll try to at least write one every other day.

As always, let me know what you think :)


	36. Chapter 36

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

The next day, Draco got up early, his body still adhering to his school schedule. He trudged into the dining room, where his mother and father were eating breakfast.

"Good morning, Draco," his mother said. She was eating a scone and had one of her books lying next to her plate.

His father had his face buried in the Daily Prophet, absentmindedly sipping his tea.

"Morning." Draco plunged down in the chair next to his mother and grabbed a scone and put some clotted cream on it.

"Any progress?" Draco asked his mother, pointing at the book next to her.

His mother nodded her head. "Quite. I am sure Sirius will win his trial," she said self confidently. "Finding Pettigrew would have helped, of course, but he has plenty of influential witnesses testifying on his account."

"Dumbledore and Potter?" Draco asked, biting into his scone.

His mother wrinkled her nose but nodded. "Yes. But also the Greengrass sisters and Severus."

Draco nodded. "And me?" he added carefully.

"No!" his father forcefully put his cup down on the table and Draco was surprised it didn't break. He looked up from his paper and glared at Narcissa.

"Lucius-" Narcissa started but was interrupted by her husband.

"No, we have talked about this. Draco will not testify."

"What?" Draco huffed. "Don't I get a say in this?" Being a grown up, Draco hated being treated like a child.

"No," his father said, and it sounded final.

"But what if he is found guilty because I don't-" Draco began but his father wasn't in the mood for an argument.

"He won't. As your mother said, he will most likely be freed of all charges and I will not have our family be any more associated with these blood traitors than we already are," he glowered at Draco and Narcissa and it was the first time he openly showed that he didn't like what they had been doing. "There will be a day when you will thank me for this."

Draco doubted it, but didn't dare contradict his father.

"How about we visit Diagon Alley this afternoon?" Narcissa asked, trying to defuse the tension and change the subject.

Lucius nodded, then brought his attention back to his paper.

Draco soon figured out that his parents had just come to the silent agreement that they wouldn't talk about the issue again. Ever. It was how most pureblooded families operated. They just ignored the elephant in the room instead of doing anything about it. That was fine by Draco, it saved him from having to either lie to his parents or say things he knew his parents wouldn't like.

They really went to Diagon Alley that afternoon and Draco had a good time shopping and eating ice cream with his parents. His mother bought a lot of new clothes and his father new Quidditch equipment. He told his parents about his school year, leaving out a few more or less important details, like that he had kept Sirius in his room during the holidays, and he told them about his friends, leaving out Neville's name of course. His parents also told him about their lives. But they never talked about Sirius again.

Other than a few trips with his parents, Draco spent a lot of time reading. He even found a few books that might help Neville and he decided to bring them to Hogwarts with him.

He was sitting in the huge armchair a few weeks into the summer holidays, reading, when the fireplace suddenly became alive.

"Draco?" the fireplace asked. The voice was a bit hesitant.

"Blaise?" Draco queried. "Is that you in there?"

The grinning face of Blaise Zabini appeared in the flames.

"Got it in one, my fellow conspirator," he said. "Mind if I come through?"

Draco gave his assent, and suddenly the library had another occupant.

"Hello, Blaise," Draco greeted.

"And good afternoon to you as well," he finally said.

"Keeping busy this summer?" Draco asked.

"Actually," the tall boy started, "a few of the Slytherins, Astoria and Longbottom are currently at my place."

"Your place?" Draco asked. Blaise wasn't usually the most sociable person.

"Well, we didn't think your parents would be happy to host a blood traitor Gryffindor. Neither would have Nott's father."

Draco nodded his head. Theodore had never been a Death Eater, but his father was a different story.

"Draco?" Lucius voice was heard from the other side of the door. "Is there someone in there? I've heard you talking to someone." He opened the door. "Oh, good afternoon, Mr. Zabini."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy. I was wondering whether Draco could spend the afternoon at my place?" he asked sweetly.

Lucius looked at his son, smiling. "Of course. Have fun, Draco."

Draco smiled at his father and followed Blaise through the Floo.

Coming out on the other side, Draco was greeted by the friendly faces of his friends. The Greengrass sisters, Pansy, Neville, Theodore and Tracey. Draco noted that Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent were absent. Draco wondered why but didn't dwell on it.

"Hi, Draco," piped Astoria.

"Draco, how generous of you to pay us a visit," teased Pansy.

"Hey, guys."

"We thought we could play a small Quidditch match," Zabini grinned. "You up for it, Mr. Slytherin Quidditch star?"

"Always," Draco laughed. "So you all on one team and me on another? We want to keep it fair, right?"

"Hmm, I don't know," Nott mused. "What if you fall off your broom again?" he smirked. "Don't you need someone on your team to save you?"

"Oh, you are so on," Draco laughed.

The day passed beautifully, and Draco wondered, not for the first time, why he'd never bothered to make friends the first time around.

TBC

A pretty short chapter, only had time to write a bit during an incredibly boring seminar today... Hope you enjoyed it :)


	37. Chapter 37

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

The summer passed quickly, and Draco soon found himself in the Ministry of Magic on the 20th of August, the date of Sirius Black's trial.

There was a nervous buzz in the courtroom as everyone waited for Sirius Black to be escorted into the room.

The trial was open to the public and had drawn quite the crowd. Next to him and his mother - his father had decided to not join them - were Daphne, Astoria and Neville. Somewhere close to Dumbledore, Draco could make out the golden trio and several Weasleys. Remus Lupin was, of course, also present and he could also see Rita Skeeter in the crowd.

Most people in the public section had expressions of fear and excitement on their faces. A few were whispering to their friends. Some people were sitting with a grim expression on their faces. There was an undeniable tension in the air. Most eyes were fixated on the door, which suddenly clanged open. The muttering stopped immediately.

An Auror came through first, wand out. Behind him was Sirius Black. He looked worse than when Draco had last seen him but still better than when he had first found him. Behind him were another two aurors.

He was set on a chair in the middle of the room and chained to it. Sirius glanced around the room and when his eyes fell on Draco and his friends, he flashed them a brief smile.

"You have been brought here before the Wizengamot today so that we may pass judgement on you regarding the murder of 12 muggles and a wizard, assisting in the murder of Lily and James Potter, treason and providing information to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," started Amelia Bones. "Interrogator: Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley."

Draco studied the Weasley. Percy seemed rather nervous. It must have been his first trial, having only graduated three months earlier.

"Sirius Orion Black, do you understand the charges you have been convicted of?"

"Yes," Sirius replied.

"How do you plead?"

The whole room was so silent, one could hear a pin drop.

"Not guilty."

Murmurs swept through the room as soon as he said it, raising quickly in volume.

"Silence!" Amelia Bones managed the courtroom quite well, thought Draco. She didn't have to raise her voice to have everyone listen to her directions.

She called for the first witness.

The ministry, it seemed, was calling in every possible witness and piece of evidence it could to defend its conviction. They called every auror and ministry official who had had anything to do with Sirius Black to the witness stand. They all told the same story of how Sirius had been standing in the middle of the blown up street, a massacre, laughing like a maniac and saying that everything had been his fault.

Draco was painfully reminded of the day in the Shrieking Shack, when Sirius had told Potter that it had been his fault, that his parents had died.

They even brought out the witness statements of the muggles that had witnessed the confrontation between Sirius and Peter.

"I was taking my dog for a walk," read an Auror out loud. "There were two men talking. They were weirdly dressed. They both had sticks in their hands. Weird, really. One was short and nervous, the other tall and aggressive. The tall one cornered the other man. Then the short one yelled something about betrayal. Then the whole street blew up. Just like that… It was a massacre… a nightmare… screaming and blood… bodies everywhere. And right in the middle: The tall man. Laughing like a maniac. A psychopath. People were dead, and he just laughed."

Draco winced. That did not sound good. Sirius really did sound like a crazy lunatic.

They read more testimonies, all similar to that one. Draco was getting nervous.

Then they talked to Aurors dealing with him after his arrest.

"Auror Moody, what was your initial impression of Sirius Black?" Amelia asked.

Draco felt queasy so close to that man. He knew that Moody hadn't been the guy who turned him into a ferret, but apparently his feelings didn't.

"Nice enough but constantly caused trouble. Never showed any respect to anyone. But he adored the Potters and arrested quite a few Death Eaters. Never would have suspected him of being the traitor if I hadn't known there was one."

"So you did suspect him?" asked Amelia.

"We knew there was a traitor and we knew he was close to Dumbledore and the Potters. The traitor also needed access to Ministry documents. Didn't leave many suspects."

"Was there anything else that made you suspect him?"

"Not really. He seemed like a good kid to me. But..." Moody trailed off.

"But what?"

"But the way he acted during and after his arrest... Not mourning his dead friends but laughing like a... There were three people who would have fit the criteria and could have been the spies. But how Sirius Black acted during and after his arrest led me to believe that he must have been the traitor."

"Thank you, Auror Moody."

Draco didn't think this was going well at all.

After Moody, they called Albus Dumbledore forward to testify.

"Upon the arrest of Sirius Black, you gave evidence that he was the Secret Keeper for the Potter family and that only the traitorous actions of this Secret Keeper could have given He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named the opportunity to murder the Potters. Do you stand by this?"

"I do," replied Dumbledore, frowning.

"Do you want to add anything to this?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said calmly. "In early October I obtained information leading me to believe that the Potters were targeted by Lord Voldemort," squeals and shuddering ran through the crowd. "It was I who advised the Potters to go into hiding under the Fidelius charm. I offered to be their Secret Keeper, but they refused, opting instead to place their trust in one of their friends, although they knew that there was probably a spy amongst them. A week before their death, James Potter informed me that Sirius Black would be their Secret Keeper. This was what lead me to believe Mr. Black was the traitor."

"Is it possible that they might have chosen someone else?"

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "But if they did, I was not made aware of it."

That was the end of day one. All the witnesses on the side of the prosecution had had their say and Draco wasn't at all convinced that Sirius would win his trial. The next day, the defense and Sirius would get the chance to say what was on their minds.

Draco left the courtroom, working his way through the masses, looking for his mother who he had lost in the crowd. He ran into someone and stumbled to the ground.

He looked up to see who he had run into and his eyes widened in fear and surprise.

"Aunt Bella!"

TBC


	38. Chapter 38

Thank you for all the lovely reviews :)

oooOOOooo

"Aunt Bella!" Draco gasped.

The woman smiled a sad smile. "Not quite."

The woman, tall and dark, her hair long, thick and shiny, moved a little closer. The closer she got the more it dawned on Draco that this wasn't Bellatrix Lestrange and his racing heart slowed down somewhat. This woman's hair was lighter and her eyes kinder.

"You must be Draco," the woman stated more than asked.

Draco nodded his head and stood up.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she reached out her hand which Draco tentatively shook.

He had never met her before, but knew instinctively who she was. Everything about her just screamed Black and her appearance reminded him equally of his other aunt and his mother.

"Andromeda?" he asked.

She smiled. "Yes."

"You are here for the trial?"

She nodded her head and her eyes glistened. "If what they are saying is true…" she trailed off.

"It is," Draco assured her. "I've talked to him. I'm sure they'll clear him of all charges," he said, more confidently than he actually felt.

"Oh, Sirius," Andromeda smiled.

Although she never gave anyone the impression that she had been unhappy about leaving the family, it must have been hard for her to be disowned and to lose her sisters. Sirius must have been her only family after that and then he got arrested, leaving her completely alone. Draco had always felt that it had been her own fault. She had known what would happen if she married a muggle-born, but she did it regardless, not caring what it would do to the family.

"Draco!" he heard his mother yell sharply. He could see Andromeda's face fall and she looked wistfully into the direction of his mother.

"Good-bye, Draco," she whispered.

Draco walked over to his mother. Her face was expressionless, but Draco could feel the anger radiating off her.

"I don't want you to talk to her," she finally said.

"Why?"

His mother glared at him. "She is a traitor and no longer part of our family." Draco wondered whether she meant blood traitor or something more personal but didn't dare ask.

"If you can forgive Sirius why can't you-"

"No," his mother interrupted him. "Don't," she hissed.

His parents were quite uncompromising these days. They left the Ministry without exchanging another word.

At home, Draco finally asked, "Do you still think Sirius will win?"

His mother studied him for a few seconds.

"Yes, of course. This was just the prosecution so of course it sounded bad, but tomorrow it will be Sirius' turn to tell his story. I'm sure that will change everyone's minds."

"I hope so," Draco said.

His father did not mention the trial at all. He did not ask them how it went and seemed to altogether ignore the subject, which was fine by Draco.

oooOOOooo

The next day the courtroom was just as full as on the day before. It seemed like no one wanted to miss any part of the trial.

"Morning, Draco," said Daphne, sitting down next to him, followed by Astoria and Neville. Their parents were sitting somewhere else.

"Morning," he greeted.

"I hope today will go better than yesterday," Daphne said, frowning.

"I sure hope so too," said Draco but couldn't say anymore, because Amelia Bones started to speak.

"Resuming the trial of Sirius Orion Black," Amelia Bones started the second day of trials. "Yesterday we heard the prosecuting evidence. Today we will turn to questioning the indicted. Mr. Black," she talked to him directly now, "this is now your chance to present your defense, if you so wish."

Black straightened in his chair, looking at Amelia directly.

"Sirius Black, are you or have you ever been a Death Eater?" she asked.

"No," Black replied instantly.

"Have you ever actively supported He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"No, I have not."

Draco could hear yells of outrage. "Liar!" he heard someone yell.

"Silence," said Amelia to the audience before she turned back to Black. "So you claim that you aren't the one who betrayed the Potters?"

"Yes. James was my best friend. I would have never done anything to hurt him or his wife."

"But were you not their Secret Keeper?" asked Amelia.

"No, I wasn't. Peter Pettigrew was."

"Pettigrew is dead!" screamed someone in the audience.

"No, he isn't," answered Sirius defiantly.

"Excuse me, Mr. Black," Amelia continued undeterred, "but hasn't Albus Dumbledore himself told us that you were their Secret Keeper? Are you saying he lied?"

"No. James and Lily decided that I would be their Secret Keeper and told Dumbledore about it. But when they approached me I had this brilliant idea. Well, at least I thought it had been brilliant."

"What idea?"

"I was the best friend of James Potter so naturally I was the obvious choice for Secret Keeper. But I figured that everyone would know that, making me the worst possible choice. I thought choosing someone else would be better. Keep them save. No one would ever suspect Peter Pettigrew to be their Secret Keeper. So, in a way," his voice wavered, "it is my fault that they died. I told them to chose Peter instead of me. I never thought he would…" he trailed off, his voice horse. "I just couldn't believe… Can you imagine being friends with someone for ten years and then finding out that they betrayed you?"

„Convenient," Amelia continued, „that the person you are blaming is now dead and cannot defend himself."

"But he isn't dead! We didn't tell anyone because we knew there was a spy. Lot of good did that do."

"You didn't even tell your other best friend, Remus Lupin?"

Sirius winced.

"Times were difficult. We thought he might have been the spy." Sirius looked at Remus. "I am truly sorry, Remus."

Remus Lupin smiled a sad smile.

"We wanted as few people to know as possible to keep word from getting out," Sirius sighed.

"Do you have any evidence for your claims?"

Sirius shook his head in defeat.

"You said that Peter Pettigrew was still alive. That is impossible."

Sirius stayed quiet for a while, then he mumbled, "he is an Animagus."

"What?"

"He is an Animagus," Sirius repeated, louder.

Gasps could be heard from the audience and people started whispering.

"Quiet," said Amelia, her brows furrowed. "There are only 7 registered Animagi in this century, none of whom are Peter Pettigrew."

Sirius rolled his eyes in frustration. "Yes, of course, because everyone who can turn into an animal of course registers with the ministry, especially during a time of war."

"You mean to say that Peter Pettigrew was an unregistered Animagi?"

"Not was. Is. But yes, that's what I'm saying."

"Still, there is no evidence for this claim. Can anyone confirm this?"

"Remus Lupin and Severus Snape can. As can Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass and Draco Malfoy," said Sirius, now smiling.

Now the chattering of the crowd got so loud that Amelia Bones had to use her hammer to get them to quiet down. After some consideration, Remus Lupin was called to testify.

"Mr. Lupin, is Mr. Black's story in any way true?" asked Amelia once the formalities were out of the way.

Remus looked at Sirius and smiled. "I can confirm that Peter Pettigrew is still alive and an Animagus."

"You know this as a fact? Have you seen him transform?"

"Yes. More times than I can count. He has been an Animagus since our shared time at Hogwarts. He can take on the form of a rat."

"An unregistered Animagus and you haven't reported him?"

"We were friends and I am not aware of any law that would require me to report such a thing."

Amelia Bones looked unhappy but proceeded. "And you believe it is possible that it was Peter Pettigrew who betrayed the Potters and killed twelve muggles?"

"Yes."

"You have never come forward with any such statement before."

"No, I haven't. Up until a year ago, I myself believed him guilty." Remus turned towards Sirius. "I am sorry, Sirius."

Sirius just shrugged his shoulders and smiled at him.

"But I have seen Peter Pettigrew," Remus continued, looking at Amelia Bones again, "alive, just a few months ago on Hogwarts grounds," admitted Remus.

Soon Remus was telling the tale of their adventure in the Forbidden Forest. Narcissa looked quite stiff and pale, hearing what all had happened that night. Draco had never told her the whole story, choosing to leave out the more dangerous parts. Admittedly, so did Remus. He left out the part of him transforming into a werewolf.

Next, Severus Snape was called to testify. He looked rather unhappy, Draco thought. He wondered whether his godfather was here on his own account or because Dumbledore had asked aka forced him to. Draco thought that this was quite a dangerous idea. No one could stop him from telling the world that Lupin was a werewolf or that Sirius had tried to kill him. And then Sirius would be sent straight back to Azkaban for attempted murder and who knows what would happen to Remus.

Amelia Bones asked Severus the same question she had asked Remus.

"Professor Snape, is Mr. Black's story in any way true?"

Severus avoided looking in Sirius' general direction. "Yes," he muttered, trying to keep the contempt out of his voice.

"Mr. Lupin has told us that you were present when they encountered Peter Pettigrew. Is this true?"

"Yes."

Draco wondered whether he would stay monosyllabic throughout the interrogation.

"So you have seen him transform?"

"Yes."

Amelia seemed to get fed up with his uncooperative answers. "Can you tell us what happened the night Peter Pettigrew came to Hogwarts."

Severus glowered but started his version of the events. He recounted how he had suspected Lupin and a few students of aiding Black into the castle when he still believed Sirius to be guilty. How he got informed of Black's presence at the school by Lupin and about the confrontation in the Shrieking Shack. He then, to Draco's immense relief, skipped the werewolf part and just said that Pettigrew freed himself and attacked them at the same time as they were attacked by several Dementors. He described the effects of the curse which Pettigrew had used but not which particular curse it had been. He explained how Dumbledore had come to their aid. Never once did he mention werewolves or any attempted murders or even that Black was an Animagus himself. Admittedly, he called Black and Lupin idiotic dunderheads a few times and criticized how they had gone about literally everything, but he never mentioned anything that would get them in trouble.

After Severus Snape, Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom were called up to testify. Potter didn't know all that much but he did everything he could to convince the Wizengamot that his godfather was innocent. Neville knew more. He told them how they had found Sirius in the forest, but that Black hadn't attacked them but had explained his situation and asked them for help.

A few more people testified and then Amelia Bones called for a break.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you have heard testimony for and against Mr. Black. The Wizengamot will now retreat to come to a verdict, which will be announced shortly."

TBC


	39. Chapter 39

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Narcissa used the break to talk to family friends, leaving Draco with his friends. If she didn't like his company, she didn't say anything.

"That went well," said Neville and everyone agreed.

"Didn't look so well yesterday but I think he convinced the Wizengamot," Draco said.

"What do you think he's going to do if they free him of all charges?" asked Astoria.

Draco shrugged, then smiled. "Probably go to the Quidditch Worldcup."

They all laughed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Dumbledore.

"Excuse me guys, I need to go to the bathroom," before anyone could say anything, he had disappeared in the crowd.

"Headmaster," he greeted Albus Dumbledore.

"Ah Mr. Malfoy. What a pleasure to see you here," said Dumbledore good naturedly.

"I know what the-" Draco stopped, looking around the room. It wasn't very Slytherin of him to blurt things out like that but he had been dying to talk to someone about it since he had found out. "I know what _He_ has made. I know what-"

Draco stopped when Dumbledore waved his wand.

"Muffliato?" Draco asked.

"One of your godfather's finest, if I may say so. Now we can speak freely."

"Speaking of my godfather," Draco furrowed his brows, "did he testify unsolicited?"

Dumbledore smiled. "A little persuasion on my part might have been involved."

"How ever did you end up in Gryffindor and not in Slytherin?" asked Draco, but only got an annoying twinkle in return.

"I know what Horcruxes are," he finally said what had been on his mind all break.

"Ah," Dumbledore said, not seeming surprised at all, "maybe not something we should discuss here."

"We could have discussed it last semester," Draco hissed, "if you'd just told me what they were. I am a grown up, damn it, I can handle things like that!"

"My apologies. Join me in my office at the beginning of the new school year and we shall discuss the matter."

"Fine," Draco grumbled. "I hope you realize that we will accomplish more if I work with you and not for you."

"I will tell you everything you want to know come September."

"Alright," Draco thought for a while. "Have you done anything about Moody?"

"I have put him under constant surveillance. Crouch will be arrested as soon as he shows himself."

Draco nodded his head. That sounded good.

"Will he still be Defense Professor?" Draco asked.

"All in due time. Patience is a virtue, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco sighed in annoyance. "Good-bye, headmaster," Draco said, having had enough of Dumbledore's cryptic behavior and his twinkling eyes.

Maybe the old coot thought that because his way had defeated Voldemort once, it was the only way to do things. But that wasn't why Draco was here. He wanted to change things, so the headmaster had to learn that they were equals. Or maybe not equals, Draco had to admit he would never be as wise or as powerful as Dumbledore. But still closer to being equal than the old man obviously thought.

When he found his friends again, they were animatedly discussing the trial with the golden trio, which Draco found amusing. It was good to know that Astoria and Daphne would be on his side if it came to another war.

His side, Draco mused. This must have been the first time he actually thought of the light side as his side.

"Oi, Draco," complained Neville, "what took you so long?"

"Got a little lost," he shrugged his shoulders.

"They let _you_ in here?" complained Weasley and was promptly elbowed by Granger.

"The trial is open to the public, Weasel. Besides, it was my mother who got things into motion so how about you show a little more gratitude?"

Ron glared at him, but Draco mostly ignored him. He knew how deep grudges could run and he knew that during his first two years in school he hadn't given Weasley any reason to like him – quite the opposite, actually. Gaining his trust would take some time.

"How comes you didn't testify?" Ron suddenly asked, "If you and Sirius are such good pals?"

Draco flinched. Mentioning his father was probably not a good idea.

Potter and Granger looked uncomfortable.

"Maybe we should head back in? They must have come to a decision by now," Daphne interrupted, obviously trying to defuse the tension.

"Sure, let's head back in," Draco agreed, walking past Weasley without looking at him.

Back inside he found his mother talking to Severus Snape.

"Good evening, godfather," Draco greeted him.

"Draco," Severus inclined his head. "How has your summer been so far?"

"Quite pleasant. Yours, sir?"

"Busier than usual," his godfather frowned. "I am afraid I must leave now. Have a nice evening, Draco. Narcissa."

"Don't be a stranger," his mother said, smiling.

Draco set down next to his mother and was soon joined by his friends.

Waiting for the Wizengamot to return, Draco realized how nervous he actually was. Not guilty would not only mean that he had saved Sirius, it would also mean that he was actually able to change the past in a significant way. Saving Sirius might mean he would also be able to save others.

Ten minutes later, the members of the Wizengamot reconvened. Amelia looked at the people gathered in the courtroom.

"Members of the Wizengamot," she began, "have you reached a verdict?"

One of the members who had been appointed spokesperson stood up. "We have. On the charges of treason and murder," Draco held his breath, "we find the defendant not guilty."

At first, there was silence. Then, a deafening cheer rose from the audience. Draco could see Potter, surrounded by the smiling Weasley family, beaming as he jumped up and applauded. Narcissa clapped her hands and smiled at her son.

Draco felt a smile creep onto his face, when he was suddenly crushed in a tight hug. He turned his head to see that it was Daphne. Soon Astoria and Neville joined in, turning it into a group hug.

"He's free," mumbled Neville, "we won."

"We did." Draco beamed.

They made their way through the crowd to Sirius, who was surrounded by the golden trio, a few Weasleys and Dumbledore.

"Draco! Neville!" Sirius was ecstatic and pulled them into a bear hug. "Thank you, guys. I couldn't have done this without you." He then smiled at Daphne and Astoria.

Draco's mother joined them. "Congratulations, Sirius," she said smiling and Sirius embraced her, too.

"Thanks, Cissy," he mumbled.

TBC


	40. Chapter 40

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

The next couple of days kept Draco rather busy.

First, his mother had decided that Sirius needed a trip to Diagon Alley. Mostly because he needed a new wand.

Draco entered the wand shop first. "Ah, 10 inches, hawthorn and unicorn hair, if I remember correctly. Quite an intriguing combination," smiled Ollivander. His smile faltered when Sirius entered the room after him.

"Dogwood and unicorn hair, 11 inches," started Ollivander, frowning.

"That would be me," smiled Sirius wistfully.

"To break a wand," Ollivander sighed, "a crime all on its own."

Sirius looked rather uncomfortable.

"Of course, I never believed it had been you who betrayed the Potters…"

"He needs a new wand," interrupted Draco's mother, not caring for their lamenting.

"Obviously," muttered Sirius under his breath.

"Ah, let me see what I can do for you," Ollivander rummaged through several shelves. "A second wand is quite different from a first wand, you must know." Ollivander started to brabble on about wandlore and Merlin knew what. Draco tuned him out after a few sentences. Instead he watched Sirius try out several wands. It took them quite some time, but in the end, Sirius, for the first time in thirteen years, owned a wand again.

"13 inches, dragon heartstring and cedar," mused Mr. Ollivander. "Quite a bit more flexible than your old wand, I must say. A wand which reflects strength of character and unwavering loyalty."

Sirius looked ridiculously happy.

oooOOOooo

There next stop was Gringotts.

Sirius had a lot to take care of there. He was surprised to find out that although Orion and Walburga Black had told him that he had been disowned, they had never actually gone ahead to do that.

"Why wasn't he properly disowned?" asked Draco his mother while Sirius was busy with the goblins.

"With only two sons and a war going on? I think Orion did not want to put all of his eggs in one basket. He probably thought that Sirius would come around eventually. And Draco, this you will understand when you have children of your own, blood is thicker than water. Sirius was, after all, still their son and I assume that they loved him. Even though they fought and disagreed, and sometimes hated each other… They still loved him." She smiled at him but her eyes looked sad.

Not for the first time, Draco wondered whether his parents would still love him once they found out he wasn't on their side anymore.

"Just out of curiosity," Draco said, changing the topic, "what happened to the vault of aunt Bella?"

He could see his mother wince. "It belongs to us for as long as she is in Azkaban, just as Sirius' had while he was imprisoned," she said quietly.

"What's in it?" Draco asked innocently.

"Just money and some old heirlooms."

"Can we go look at it?" Draco asked, hoping that he sounded like a nosey teenager and not like a spy intending to rob the vault.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Just out of curiosity. I never got to know aunt Bella. And we are already here, and I am bored. Sirius is taking forever."

"Fine," his mother finally conceded.

One of the goblins lead them deep into Gringotts. In front of the vault, Narcissa hesitated. "You go inside Draco. Look around. Don't you dare touch or take anything. I'll wait here for you," she finally said.

"Okay, mother," Draco said. He had never considered that his mother might miss her sister. It was a strange thought that someone out there actually loved that vile woman. He wondered whether she would still love her if she knew she had killed Sirius.

Draco entered the vault and the door behind him disappeared. The vault was, from the floor to the ceiling, filled with golden coins, goblets, silver armor, the skins of strange creatures, potions in jeweled flasks and a skull wearing a crown.

"Accio Horcrux," he tried but to no avail.

How was Draco supposed to find the Horcrux, if there really was one in here?

He'd just have to go through the various items and hope that one stood out to him.

He examined a pile of objects. When he grabbed a goblet, a soaring pain shot through his arm.

"Argh!" he dropped the goblet.

Among impact on the ground, the goblet multiplied and soon the floor was covered in identical cups rolling around.

Draco inspected his hand. It had a few blisters on it. Gemino and Flagrante Curses, he thought.

Draco desperately tried not to touch anything, but it was impossible not to. Every time he turned to look at an object he would brush against another until it became almost impossible to stand anywhere on the floor without touching anything.

He decided that his endeavor was hopeless and turned around to leave, but he stumbled over a silver helmet, which soon turned into 20 helmets.

Draco tried to keep his balance but as one of the helmets burned his arm, he jumped back and fell against a shelf. Everything on it came falling towards him.

"Arresto Momentum!" he cried and the various objects from the shelf slowed down midfall before they could hit and burn Draco. Everything but one goblet, which was immune to the spell and hit Draco straight in the face. He crawled out from under the slowly moving avalanche of old heirlooms and, on second thought, grabbed the goblet.

While the shelf came slowly crashing down next to him, he inspected the goblet. It was a small golden cup with two finely-wrought handles with a badger engraved on the side and a few jewels. Most importantly, it did not multiply or burn his hand.

"Yes," Draco cheered. That must be it.

He hid the goblet in his robes and left the vault.

"What happened to your hand?" his mother asked, a worried look on her face, as soon as Draco had left the vault.

"I think," Draco answered, "aunt Bella really doesn't like it if people touch her stuff."

His mother chuckled. "Serves you right, then."

Back home he hid the goblet in his room, putting several spells on it, so even if someone went through his things, they would find nothing.

oooOOOooo

After the outing to Diagon Alley, his mother had made it her personal business to make Grimmauld Place, for centuries the home of the Blacks which had been empty for quite a few years, inhabitable and presentable. Draco, naturally, had to help.

It wasn't so much cleaning – that was after all the job of the house elves – but painting, buying furniture, rearranging stuff, and so on, that kept them busy.

Grimmauld Place turned from the dark and dirty hole it had been when Draco first stepped into it, into a light and friendly place filled with friends and family. Besides him and his mother, Neville, the Greengrass sisters, Remus Lupin and the golden trio were regular guests.

It was a lot of work, but Draco had fun. He could spend time with his friends, his mother and Sirius. Besides, being an only child made summer holidays quite boring, especially now that they had skipped their vacation.

Even the golden trio warmed up to him somewhat. They would still look at him skeptically from time to time, but overall, they accepted him.

The Daily Prophet had been all over Sirius' case. His story had been the head line for days. Draco even heard that Rita Skeeter wanted to write a book about Sirius Black. The Ministry had been criticized thoroughly after the whole ordeal.

oooOOOooo

Once Grimmauld Place was presentable enough for his mother's liking, Sirius Black threw a huge party, celebrating his freedom with old friends and family.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" his mother asked his father before they left for the party.

"Quite," said his father. "Besides," he continued, "I will have guests of my own tonight."

"Who?" asked his mother.

"Nott, Yaxley, Dolohov, Snape and some others. Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay with us, Draco?"

"Thank you, father," Draco said, "but I've already promised Daphne and Astoria that I would be at the party."

Lucius looked at his son for a long moment. "Fine," he finally said. "Do as you please. Just know that soon you might find yourself in a situation where who you associate with and the image you thus create becomes of vital importance. I hope you will make the right decision then."

"Don't worry," Draco looked his father straight in the eyes, "I will."

TBC

Maybe a bit rushed, but I want to write about the Qudditch World Cup and start the next year. Draco has had a pretty good summer so far... this is going to change (laughs evilly). Poor Draco. Thank you for all the reviews. I always love to hear what you think.


	41. Chapter 41

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Although there had been a lot of tension between the three Malfoys during the last weeks of summer break and Draco knew that the event would end on a rather depressing note, Draco was happy to spend time with his father at the Quidditch World Cup. His mother had decided to stay at home, having had enough excitement for one summer.

Draco and his father talked amiably about Quidditch. It was a passion they both shared. Draco told his father how he had caught the snitch in school right out under Potter's nose and how they had consequently won the house cup. His father told Draco that he was proud of him. Then they talked about the World Cup and bought tons of merchandise - Draco made sure to buy something for each of his friends. They had fun.

All that changed when they saw who they were sharing a box with.

"Good job too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places…," Draco could hear Fugde say, "ah, and here's Lucius!"

Draco and Lucius came face to face with Potter, a couple of Weasleys, Granger and Sirius.

Sirius pulled Draco into a bear hug. "Good to see you, Draco."

Draco returned the hug but was aware of how his father had grown tense.

"Ah, Fudge," said Lucius, shaking the hand of the Minister. "How are you? I don't think you've met my son, Draco?"

"How do you do, how do you do?" said Fudge, smiling and shaking Draco's hand. "Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk – Obalonsk – Mr. – well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else – you know Sirius Black and Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"

It was a tense moment. Lucius' eyes swept over the two men. "Good lord, Arthur," he said softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

Draco flinched. Hearing his father speak so cruelly was like looking into a mirror. This was how he had been his whole life. A conceited git. Draco felt ashamed every time he was reminded of his original past and how it had taken a full-on war, a murder attempt and a couple of corpses before he realized how wrong he had been. He thought on how the night would end and felt cold dread overcome him.

"Oh, shut up," growled Sirius and Draco shot him a pleading look.

Fudge, who hadn't been listening, said, "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest."

"How – how nice," said Mr. Weasley, with a very strained smile. Sirius glared at Lucius but didn't say anything.

Lucius stared at Hermione, his lip curled.

Draco sat himself between his father and Sirius and until the game started everyone remained on edge.

Surprisingly, during the match everyone in the box seemed to forget their rivalry and just enjoyed the moment. Why couldn't things always be like that?

After the game, Lucius grabbed Draco by the arm and dragged him out of the box.

Thankfully, the celebration soon took Lucius' mind off things and he celebrated with his son and the other purebloods who were present.

"Draco!" yelled Theodore Nott, as soon as he had spotted Draco among the masses. "This was so awesome! Best day ever."

"Hey, Theo," smiled Draco. "Looks like you owe me some money."

"No shit – you guessed all the results!"

Draco laughed. "Maybe I should have taken Divination after all."

"Urgh," Theodore wrinkled his nose but then laughed as well. "I heard they cleared Black of all charges. How do you feel about that?"

"Pretty good. He's here, too."

"Really? Why aren't you with him?"

Draco looked over to his father who was talking to the older Nott. "I don't think my father would be on board with that idea."

"Yeah, well, parents don't always know best, I think," muttered Theodore absentmindedly.

"Don't be so serious," Draco said, "let's enjoy the party."

They spent the rest of the day celebrating and having fun.

oooOOOooo

But at night, once the festivities were – at least for everyone underage – over, Draco couldn't fall asleep. He knew what was going to happen. Just, this time, his father hadn't told him about it. The first time around he had told him. But this time it was just vague hints that something was about to happen.

He lay in his bed, wide awake, worrying. Would things still be the same? Would they be worse? Or better?

He jumped out of his bed when the screaming started. He looked around, but the tent was empty – his father was gone.

Draco left the tent.

People were running away into the woods, fleeing. Draco could hear loud jeering, roars of laughter and drunken yells.

Hooded and masked figures were walking together, levitating four struggling bodies.

Draco didn't look their way. He knew who they were and what they were doing to them. The first time around, he found the struggling muggles funny; this time he felt repulsed by the whole thing, his father and himself. The whole thing was sick and wrong. How could he ever find that amusing?

He decided to go and look for Theodore.

He made his way through the tents, shouting his name. He knew the Nott's tent was closer to the forest but had no idea where exactly it was.

He saw Sirius Black run past him in the direction of the Death Eaters, and then bumped into someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" muttered none other than Ron Weasley.

Something was wrong. The last time, the first time, this happened, they hadn't been running towards the commotion but away from it.

Draco bristled. "What are you doing here? You should get out of here," he said, looking at Potter and Granger, who were standing behind Ron.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hermione defiantly.

"Don't be daft," Draco drawled. "They're after muggles."

"Hermione's a witch," scoffed Ron.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Never said she wasn't." Draco really didn't feel like he had time for this. "There's a bunch of Death Eaters attacking. Do you really think it's a good idea for the boy who lived and a muggleborn to run in there?"

"What are Death Eaters?" asked Potter.

Draco frowned at him.

"Have you never bothered to open a book and read about what happened to your parents? Death Eaters are the followers of the D- of You-Know-Who."

"Wouldn't you know all about that?" asked Ron and Draco glared at him.

"We are not just gonna stand by and do nothing when they are attacking innocent people, Malfoy," huffed Potter.

"Fine then," Draco sighed. "Go ahead and get yourself killed." He looked at them for a few seconds. "Have any of you seen Nott?"

"What? No. So you're going to run?" Potter asked.

"Coward," mouthed Ron.

"Rather a coward than an idiot. A dead idiot, by the way."

"You won't be able to sit on the fence much longer, you know. Soon, maybe even tonight, you'll have to pick a side," Granger said.

That came out of the blue. He didn't really know what to say. He had kind of hoped that he could stay somewhere in between until the Dark Lord actually returned. Defying the Dark Lord by giving Dumbledore crucial information was very different from outright dueling his father. He'd have to publicly pick a side soon and although he already knew which side that would be, he still dreaded that day. It would be the day he'd lose his family and many of his friends. It was hard to know that their love was conditional. That they wouldn't love him no matter what. He knew that it would eventually come to this, but right now he did not feel ready to burn these bridges and cut all ties to his family. He still loved them, after all.

"Easy for you to say," Draco hissed, turning to leave.

"Going to your father? He is one of them, right?" called Weasley after him. "Coward!"

Draco didn't turn around. They would probably run after Black and get all four of them killed. Stupid Gryffindors. Couldn't even wait for _His_ return to die.

The last comments had stung more than Draco would have liked to admit.

As he made his way through the camping site, he finally found a green tent that looked vaguely familiar. He tentatively looked inside.

There, Draco found Theo pacing, alone.

"This can't be happening. Not yet. No… I'm not ready… I can't do this…" His words echoed how Draco had just felt talking to Potter and his friends.

When he noticed Draco, he stopped rambling and looked wary.

"Theo?"

Nott clenched and unclenched his fists. "Yeah?" he asked.

"We need to get out of here," he whispered frantically, grabbing Theo's arm, but Theo pulled away. Apparently, Draco had been correct in his assessment that Theo had spent more time with him because he had distanced himself from his old world view. But distancing yourself from something and actually turning your back on it are two different things and trust was hard earned in the house of the snakes.

"It's dangerous," Draco added, "they are burning down tents. Somehow I doubt they'll check if someone's in them before they do that."

Theo nodded, following Draco out into the war zone. People were still running and screaming.

They ran towards the forest until they were out of breath and in a somewhat secluded area.

Theo fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

"Everything all right?" Draco asked, concerned.

"No," Theo said, shaking. "Are you one of them?"

"One of whom?" Draco was nervous. One Death Eater attack and suddenly everyone was talking about sides again. This wasn't a war. Not yet.

Theo narrowed his eyes. "I was always so sure about you," he rambled. "Being just like your father, hating Potter and mudbloods and everything. I'm not anymore, though. Something about you changed."

Draco wanted to say something but could hear a group of people approaching.

Theo and Draco hid behind some trees, watching how a few Death Eaters, their fathers included, surrounded a family of muggleborns. Draco watched his father levitating the father of the family and one of the others yelled "Crucio".

The children screamed as they watched their father writhe in pain.

Draco felt disgusted.

He could feel Nott jump into action next to him, so he grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Leave me be," Theo hissed. "Maybe you can… maybe you can just stand by and watch them do this, but I can't! And I won't."

Draco could hear someone yell "Avad-".

Theo shook off Draco and jumped out of their hiding place, sending a stinging hex towards one of the Death Eaters.

Draco could hear Theo yell, "Leave them be!"

"Theodore," growled his father.

Draco gulped. That hadn't happened the last time. This was worse. No matter how tonight would end, it definitely would be worse than it had originally been.

"Why, Nott," muttered Draco's father, amused, "looks like your son's gone and turned traitor."

"I thought better of you, son," continued the older Nott. "Step aside."

"N-no! They haven't done anything to you and I won't let you hurt them."

Draco was quite impressed at how brave Theo was. Brave and stupid. He was signing his own death certificate. Five Death Eaters versus one 14-year-old, Draco didn't need Divination to know how that would end.

"Step aside or you will regret it," roared Nott Senior.

"No!"

By now the muggleborn family had seized the opportunity and scurried away.

"Traitor! You are no son of mine," said Nott, his voice cold. "Crucio!"

TBC


	42. Chapter 42

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

 _"Traitor! You are no son of mine," said Nott, his voice cold. "Crucio!"_

Cold dread washed over Draco as he heard the screams of agony from his friend and the others laughing.

Draco knew it was stupid and that he would probably die as well, but no matter what it would cost him, he knew intuitively that he couldn't just let the Death Eaters torture or kill Theo. So, although plagued by feelings of dread and fear, the decision was ultimately an easy one.

He left his safe spot and fired an "Incarcerous" at Mr. Nott, who fell to the ground, bound and gagged.

Immediately, he was attacked by several spells, curses and hexes. He raised a shield which was just enough to block them. He stood between Theo, who lay groaning on the ground, and the Death Eaters.

"Stop it!" Draco could hear his father yell as soon as he realized who they were attacking. "Stop attacking him!"

But they didn't. Draco was surprised to see his father, who he recognized immediately although he was wearing a mask, casting a stinging hex at one of his friends who was just about to Crucio him.

"How dare you attack my son?" he growled.

"Nice son you got there," hissed whoever he had just attacked. "Traitorous scum."

"Draco," his father started, his tone warning, "stay out of this."

Draco's stomach was in knots. He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to chose between his parents and his new friends. Between what he knew now was right and his family.

"I'm sorry, father," he started. "Theo's my friend and I can't just watch you kill him." It sounded braver than Draco actually felt.

"Oh, don't worry boy," tutted another voice, "we won't kill him." The voice was disgustingly sweet, and Draco didn't believe a word it said.

"J-just let me and Theo leave," Draco tried. "I really don't want any trouble."

"It's a little late for that," continued the voice, "Crucio!"

Draco could jump out of the way just in time, but the Death Eaters sent hex after hex at him. Lucius shouted at his colleagues, but they didn't listen to him anymore.

Draco wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up with them. So far, he had blocked what was sent at him, but he was starting to tire. He could feel his shield charm growing weaker by the second and the next hit had him stumbling backwards and landing on the ground next to Theo. This was it, he thought grimly. With three wands pointed at his head, he had no clue how he should get out of this situation.

"Stupefy!" he could hear a voice roar and this time it wasn't aimed at him. The cavalry had finally arrived. Relief washed over him.

Sirius Black rushed onto the scene, sending hexes at the Death Eaters.

Draco crawled towards Theo. "Hey, Theo. Look at me. Everything's going to be alright," he tried to calm his still shaking friend.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Potter and his friends joining the fight.

Suddenly, something vast, green, and glittering erupted from the darkness of the night. All fighting stopped as everyone gazed into the sky. It was a colossal skull, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. It rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky.

The wood all around them erupted in screams. The Death Eaters looked at each other, Lucius throwing Draco one final glance, then they all disapparated.

"What the hell is that?" asked Potter, staring into the sky.

"It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" Hermione moaned. "You-Know-Who's sign!"

"Hey, you two," Sirius said, kneeling down next to Draco, "everything alright?"

Draco looked at him, not knowing where to begin. "No," he finally muttered.

Sirius nodded, casting a diagnostic spell on Theodore. "What happened?" he glanced at the still bound, gagged and masked form of the older Nott.

The golden trio joined them around Theo.

"A couple of Death Eaters attacked a family… Theo tried to stop them. They attacked him… His father…" he trailed off. Draco glanced at his friend.

"Bastard," whispered Sirius. Together they helped Theo on his feet.

He was pale and trembling, but didn't look hurt otherwise.

A couple of Aurors arrived, asking them a few questions and taking the older Nott with them.

One of the wizards who had arrived on the scene seemed to have been from St. Mungo's and he immediately checked on Theo.

Mr. Weasley arrived at the scene then. "Is everyone alright?"

"Dad, what's going on?" Ron asked immediately.

"Did you get the person who conjured the Mark?" asked Hermione.

"We found Barty Chrouch's elf holding someone else's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conjured the Mark."

"Can someone explain what that skull thing was?" said Ron impatiently. "It wasn't hurting anyone… Why's it such a big deal?"

"I told you, it's You-Know-Who's symbol, Ron," said Hermione, before anyone else could answer. "I read about it in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts."

"And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," said Mr. Weasley quietly. "Of course, people panicked… it was almost like seeing You-Know-Who back again."

"I don't get it," said Ron, frowning. "I mean… it's still only a shape in the sky…"

"Ron, You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed," said Mr. Weasley. "The terror it inspired… you have no idea, you're too young. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're about to find inside…" Mr. Weasley winced. "Everyone's worst fear… the very worst…"

There was silence for a moment. Draco felt sick. It was hard to hear about "his" side from this point of view. How could he ever think that joining the Death Eaters was a good idea? That what they were doing was okay?

"The Death Eaters all disappeared once they saw the sign," mumbled Hermione.

Mr. Weasley nodded his head. "They all disapparated before we got near enough to unmask any of them. Well," he glanced in Theodore's direction, "all of them but Nott."

Theodore was talking to an auror and to a mediwitch. Sirius was standing next to him.

"What will happen to him?" asked Draco tentatively. He wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to remind them that he was there, but he needed to know.

"Azkaban, probably," said Mr. Weasley, looking at Draco. For the first time since Draco had first met the man, Arthur didn't look at him warily.

"They better. It's where they should put your father, too," muttered Ron. "He was probably the one who conjured the Mark."

"No, he wasn't," hissed Draco.

"How would you know?"

"You saw-" Draco stopped himself. No, they apparently hadn't seen him. They hadn't recognized his father among the Death Eaters and they wouldn't have any proof that he was one of them unless Draco told them. "Never mind." Draco turned his gaze towards Theo, just so he did not have to look at the Weasel.

"You-" Ron started but was interrupted by his father's warning "Ronald."

"Draco," Mr. Weasley turned to him. "You and Theodore have done a very noble and brave thing today."

Draco nodded his head. He didn't feel well at all. "What's going to happen to Theo now? He only had his father."

"He will stay with me," said Sirius, walking over to them together with Theo, "until we can figure out a better solution."

Draco smiled at Theo and Sirius. He felt less like an unwanted intruder when they were around.

Theo still looked very shaken, but Draco couldn't tell whether it was from the Cruciatus or the events in general.

"Draco!" he could hear his father's voice bellow. He spun around to see his father standing a few feet away from them. "We are leaving," he said, his voice icy.

Draco gulped. He didn't dare disobey his father more than he already had.

He glanced at the others, but no one said anything.

He walked to his father, looking at Theo one last time, mouthing "Everything's going to be alright," in his direction.

His father grabbed him by the shoulder and without a word, disapparated.

TBC


	43. Chapter 43

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

They apparated in front of Malfoy Manor with a deafening crack. Lucius' magic seemed to reflect his mood.

The tight grip Draco's father had on his shoulder and the violent landing made Draco feel sick.

Lucius pushed Draco in front of him, towards the manor.

"Father-"

"Don't," he hissed. "I don't want to hear a word."

Draco gulped and trotted towards the manor. He had never been scared of his father before, but he was now.

The manor was dark and quiet. It was in the middle of the night and Narcissa was probably asleep.

"Go to your room," Lucius hissed, barely controlling his anger. He stormed towards his study and slammed the door shut.

Draco hurried into his room, closed the door and threw himself onto his bed. He buried his head in his pillow.

He was a grown man, he shouldn't be crying. But he did. Within one day the summer had turned from one of the best to one of the worst.

His father would probably kill him. Or worse, disown him.

He fell into a restless sleep. Violent nightmares woke him several times. Dumbledore's death, Astoria's death, the Quidditch World Cup and his father,…

He woke, the next morning, covered in sweat. He felt exhausted and did not dare leave his room.

An hour after he would usually eat his breakfast, his mother tentatively knocked on his door. "Draco, darling, may I come in?"

Draco, still in his bed and feeling miserable, muttered, "No."

There was a short silence. "Please, let me in. What happened?" his mother asked pleadingly. "You return in the middle of the night, without a word, and now your father is not leaving his study and you are buried in here... You can talk to me. Please, talk to me."

Draco felt sick again. "Go away."

Silence.

"No," Narcissa said. After a while, she added, "I'm coming in."

Draco didn't say anything. He hid under his blanket, but could hear his mother approaching and feel her put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"You'll hate me if I tell you," Draco muttered.

"There is nothing in the world you could do to make me hate you," she said.

Draco flinched. How he wished he could believe her. "Father hates me."

"I doubt that. He might be angry, but we are your parents, we will always love you."

Draco didn't say anything for a while. "Have you read the Prophet today?" he finally asked.

His mother didn't answer right away, so Draco assumed she knew the gist of what had happened. Hesitantly, he began to explain how Theodore Nott had defied his father and how they had tortured him and how Draco had tried to protect him.

Narcissa listened, never interrupting Draco as he spoke. She gently rubbed his back, while he talked.

"Thank you for telling me," she finally said once he was done.

"Are you mad at me?" Draco asked, finally lifting the blanket.

"No, darling. Everything will be alright." She looked worried though. "Why don't you go down and eat breakfast? You must be starving. I will talk to your father." She kissed Draco on the forehead and left the room.

Draco wasn't sure whether she really didn't mind, but having told her, he felt better. He made his way downstairs.

His parents soon joined him at the table. Apparently, his mother had succeeded in coaxing Lucius out of his study as well. Lucius didn't say a word and didn't look in Draco's direction.

They ate their food in a tense silence and Lucius left again, as soon as he was done eating.

That's how the rest of the week went. Draco would stay in his room and Lucius would lock himself into his study. They would eat meals together but not exchange as much as a glance in the other's direction. Narcissa would try to get the both of them to talk, unsuccessfully. Sometimes, Draco could hear them fighting over something.

After that first breakfast, Draco wrote letters explaining what had happened to Neville and the Greengrass sisters. He hoped the sisters would understand. They had both been against pureblood ideals after the war, but Draco wasn't so sure where they stood now.

He wrote another letter to Sirius, telling him that he was okay and that he shouldn't worry about him. He really hoped Theo was okay.

The atmosphere at the manor was so tense that Draco couldn't wait to leave for Hogwarts.

oooOOOooo

Narcissa brought Draco to King's Cross as his father still wasn't willing to speak to him.

"He will come around," his mother said to him, but Draco wasn't so sure about that. "Have a good year. I love you, darling, no matter what," said Narcissa and hugged Draco.

"Love you, too," he mumbled.

He didn't see anyone he knew at the station, so he went onto the train right away. He soon realized that his group of friends had split in two. He saw Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini in one compartment and found Theodore and the golden trio in another. After a few minutes of internal debate, Draco decided to poke his head into the Gryffindor compartment.

"Have they resorted you?" Draco chuckled.

Theo looked up nervously. Draco got the feeling that he was scared that Draco wouldn't associate with him anymore. But when Theo saw Draco's friendly smirk, he relaxed and smiled as well.

"Looks like it," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Serves you right," teased Draco.

Theo pulled Draco into a hug. "Thanks for saving me, mate."

"No worries," Draco said. "Mind if I sit with you?"

Nott looked at the other occupants of the compartment, but they all just shrugged their shoulders.

"Sure," he finally said, and Draco sat down next to him.

"Wrong decision, mate," sneered Crabbe and Draco saw that Crabbe and Goyle were now standing in the compartment door. They must have seen him pass their compartment earlier.

"You should be careful who you spend your time with," Goyle spat. He then turned to Theo, "traitor," he mumbled. "I'd watch my back if I were you."

"Don't remember asking you to join us," Potter said coolly.

"I so hope they will choose you, Potter," drawled Goyle, "'d like to see you get crushed by a dragon or something." They laughed and left the compartment.

"Oh, this is going to be a fun year," sighed Draco sarcastically. He had really hoped they wouldn't turn on him, but then again, they had done the same thing during their last year at Hogwarts, when Draco's high standing had been damaged by his father's imprisonment and his failure in killing Dumbledore.

"Don't let them get to you, Theodore," said Hermione reassuringly.

Theo looked rather pale.

"Choose me for what?" Potter asked after a while.

"Seriously? You lot are the least informed people I've ever met. Especially since you have a brother and father in the ministry," said Draco, looking at Ron.

"The stuff Percy has been rambling about?" Ron asked.

"The Triwizard Tournament," finished Draco.

"Triwizard what?"

Draco rolled his eyes. He was just lacking the patience for people raised by muggles.

"It's a competition between the biggest schools of wizardry in Europe," supplied Theodore. "Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion is selected to represent each school, and the three compete in three different magical tasks. They used to do it every five years."

"Used to?" asked Hermione.

"Too many people died," said Draco.

Hermione grew pale.

"Cool," said Potter and Weasley in unison.

That's when Neville and Daphne opened the door. "Do you have room for two more?" Neville asked.

The compartments could comfortably fit six people, but they all squeezed together, and Daphne and Neville joined them.

They, of course, had tons of questions about the Quidditch World Cup.

Theo, Draco and the golden trio spent half of the train ride summarizing what happened.

"Oh my," whispered Daphne, once they had finished their story. "Thank god you're alright, Theo. This could have ended really, really bad. How are you? How's living with Sirius?"

"I'm fine," he said, but no one looked convinced. "No, really. I mean, yeah, it sucks, and I wish things were different," he trailed off, lost in thought. "But living with Black is fun. And, you know, he gets me. He's been there before. Didn't share his family's opinions, got kicked out,… He knows the struggle. He knows how it feels to be unwanted... He understands me. We can talk about things."

"That's good," mumbled Neville.

Theo nodded. "What did your father think about everything, Draco?"

Draco shrugged. "Wouldn't know. He hasn't said a word to me since the World Cup."

Everyone stayed quiet for a while.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault," Theo said. "I forced you into this situation."

"No, it's okay. Really. It would have happened sooner or later anyways. I… just hoped it would be later."

"I'm sure he'll come around," Hermione tried to console him.

"I highly doubt that," Draco muttered, his voice wavering.

"I'm sorry," Harry suddenly said.

"Whatever for?"

"Telling you to choose a side as if it were easy. I never thought about what this would mean for you. Or you, Theo. It is easy for us, with our families not being on the other side…"

They didn't say anything for a while but soon began talking again. About other things. Trying to forget what had happened during the summer.

TBC

Who's ready for year 4? I definitely am. There will be a lot going on.

Only a few more days till Christmas. My winter break starts tomorrow and I will use it to revise the earlier chapters and write a few new ones. My new years resolution is to update every other day so we'll see how that goes.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, let me know what you think :)


	44. Chapter 44

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

In the Great Hall, Draco sat between Theo and Daphne. Zabini and Tracey soon sat down opposite of them. Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent stood a few feet away, sneering at Theo.

Pansy walked in and examined the situations. "Oh, don't be such assholes," she told Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent and sat down next to Tracey. "You were perfectly friendly with him last year."

"Last year we still thought he was one of us," hissed Millicent.

"One of us? This is not the seventies. There is no war and there are no sides."

"Ha," huffed Goyle. "You wish. The Dark Lord will be back. Sooner than you think."

"Hmm, maybe. But not today. So, sit down and cut the crap," Pansy growled.

"You say that now," said Crabbe, but sat down anyways. He was soon followed by the others.

The tension was palpable. No one said anything, but it was clear that Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent and many of the other year Slytherins disapproved of Theo's actions.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year…"

Dumbledore had started his speech and Draco turned his attention away from his table and looked at the stuff table instead. What he saw, made his blood freeze. "No, no, no. This can't be true," he mumbled.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn" – Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candellight, his big waistcoated belly casting the table below into shadow – "is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

"Potions?" The question echoed all over the Hall as people wondered whether they had heard right.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," continued Dumbledore, ignoring the chatter amongst the students, "will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

First, everything was quiet. Then, a thunderous applause erupted from the Slytherin table. Everyone cheered. Everyone, but Draco, who stared at the headmaster with an open mouth. The dread and shock soon changed into fury. How could Dumbledore do this? Didn't he know what usually happened to the DADA teachers?

The headmaster waited for the Slytherins to calm down. "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" Draco could hear several people gasp.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

Everyone was quiet for a while.

"You're JOKING!" Draco could hear one of the Weasley twins yell.

People started to laugh, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag and a leprechaun who all go into a bar…"

McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er – but maybe this is not the time… no…" said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament…"

Draco stopped listening, he already knew all of this.

Snape, Defense teacher? Draco was still rather upset about that. Defense teachers had the habit of dying at the end of the year, so what was Dumbledore thinking? They needed Snape.

"Wish I could have gone to Durmstrang," Crabbe's complaint pulled Draco out of his musing. "Loads better than Hogwarts." Apparently, the revelations of the night had made him forget their disagreement momentarily.

"I heard they teach the Dark Arts," whispered Tracey.

"And don't allow mudbloods," grinned Goyle, an evil glint in his eyes.

Tracey just glared at him.

"My father wanted to send me there," Draco admitted.

"Why didn't he?" asked Pansy.

"Mother wouldn't let him. Wanted to keep me close, I guess."

"Tough luck," grumbled Goyle.

"I wouldn't say so," said Draco. "Wouldn't know you guys if I'd gone to Durmstrang."

"Awww, Draco," fawned Pansy.

"That was disgustingly sweet," laughed Daphne and Draco just grinned. Goyle looked disgusted but amused.

"I'm going for it!" Crabbe announced with enthusiasm. "I'll be the Hogwarts champion."

"Didn't you listen?" Daphne asked. "You got to be of age to enter."

"Ever heard of aging potions?"

"As if you are capable enough to brew one," muttered Pansy, rolling her eyes.

They kept discussing the tournament, but Draco was only half listening, lost in thought. And the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

oooOOOooo

As soon as the feast was over, Draco stormed into Dumbledore's office.

"Why?" Draco yelled. "Are you out of your damn mind? Why the bloody hell would you do that?"

"Good evening, Draco," greeted Dumbledore, ignoring the outbreak.

"Are you trying to kill him? Do you not care at all?."

"Have a cup of tea and take a deep breath. Then we may talk about what is bothering you."

"You- he- argh-" Draco wanted to argue some more, but knew it was pointless.

With a sigh he slumped into the seat across from Dumbledore and grabbed the cup of tea that was already waiting for him.

After a few sips he had calmed down somewhat.

"Why did you make Professor Snape the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

"I felt he was the best man for the job. I thought you of all people would be happy with my choice."

"Well, I would be if the position weren't jinxed. I don't want him to die at the end of the year."

"A sentiment I share with you. I will do my best to prevent this. Unfortunately, things are progressing faster than they did in your memories."

"What do you mean?" That did not sound good.

"The World Cup, for example. It didn't happen the way you remember it, did it?"

Draco stayed quiet for a while. "No. It was worse. Way worse. Things seemed better organized. There were more Death Eaters and they were more violent."

"Tell me, Draco, has your father had any meeting with other Death Eaters?"

Draco thought back to the day of Sirius' party. His father had a couple of old friends over. "Yes. But you should already know that. Severus was there, too."

Dumbledore nodded his head. "I am afraid they have started recruiting again."

Draco jumped out of his chair. "What?! That's impossible. The Dark Lord isn't even back yet!"

"They seem to be aware of the fact that someone is trying to bring Voldemort back."

"But- they-" Draco slumped back into his chair. "They weren't aware the first time this happened. Nobody knew he would return. On neither side."

"Things have changed," Dumbledore said calmly.

"You mean I have changed things. I'm making everything worse!"

"Now, now. That is not true," the headmaster said gently.

"Of course it's true! It's my fault the Death Eaters are recruiting already. It is my fault, Mr. Nott got arrested and Theo disowned and quasi orphaned and is now shunned by everyone!"

Dumbledore looked at Draco with a kind smile. "Did you tell Mr. Nott to stand up to his father?"

"No, but- Well, I told him not to do anything, to keep his head down, but he didn't listen."

"So, is it your fault then that he did try to stop his father?"

"He didn't do it originally and I am the only thing that is different, so yes," Draco growled.

"No." Dumbledore's answer surprised Draco. "You did not tell him what to do. You simply gave him a choice. You gave him a choice he did not have in the original timeline."

"What?"

"By being his friend and showing him another way, you showed him an option and gave him the strength to choose what he felt was right instead of letting his fear decide his path." Dumbledore gave Draco some time to digest that. "Not everything bad that happens from now on is your fault. People still make their own decisions. You did not force anyone's hand. Originally, Mr. Nott only had one feasible option available to him. You showed him a second one, but the decision was still his to make. Do you understand this?"

Draco gave this some thought. He felt infinitely lighter. "Yes, I think I do."

"Very well then. As I said, things happen faster but that does not necessarily mean that they are worse. A lot of the changes have been good. Sirius Black would be one such example. Alastor Moody would be another. We could prevent his attack. Unfortunately, the perpetrators got away. Still, you saved him from a year-long imprisonment."

"But why not make him our Defense teacher?" Draco asked, returning to the original reason why he had come to Dumbledore.

"I fear he will be otherwise occupied this year."

"You think there will be Death Eater attacks? Before his return?"

"There most likely will be. In any case, the students, now more than ever, need a capable and invested Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Alright, I guess I can see your point. I just don't want him to die again," Draco sighed.

"I will do everything I can to prevent such a fate," assured Dumbledore. "How are the other students reacting to Mr. Nott's decision?"

Draco thought this over. "Daphne and I are on his side. Tracey is a half-blood, so I'm pretty sure she loves these new developments. Zabini has always been neutral. Pansy is opportunistic. She will support whoever she benefits most from. Millicent, Crabbe and Goyle, however... They made it clear that they do not approve. And by the way some of the others looked at us today... But Slytherins are not all Death Eaters in the making, you know. Many of them fought on our side during the last battle. We are just not as open about who we support as some of the other houses are."

Dumbledore smiled. "This is good to know. Severus is talking to your housemates right now, telling them about the importance of house unity and that any attacks against housemates will not be tolerated. If anything happens, let me know."

"Thank you, headmaster."

"The war will start and end a lot sooner than you remember, I assume. And you have given our side a lot to work with."

At that, Draco jerked up. "Uh- I almost forgot!" He started rummaging through his pockets and pulled out the cup. "I – uhm – borrowed this out of my aunt's vault." He put the cup on the desk in front of him. "Do you think that might be one of _them_?"

Dumbledore leaned forward, examining the cup. "Do you know what this is?" he finally asked.

"A cup?" Draco asked, confused. He hated it when Dumbledore answered questions with questions.

"Not just any cup," Dumbledore said, his eyes gleaming.

Draco took a closer look at the cup. His eyes fell on the badger. "A Hufflepuff cup? Wait- Is this a cup from Helga Hufflepuff?"

When Dumbledore nodded, Draco knew that it was indeed a Horcrux that he was looking at.

"How do we destroy it?"

Dumbledore looked at him. "I think, before I answer this, we should have a word with Harry Potter."

TBC

Thank you for all the lovely reviews :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Next update might take a while as I'll be travelling to Romania tomorrow and stay there till Saturday.

As always, let me know what you think :)


	45. Chapter 45

Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I think when Draco really acts like a teenager it's often because his hormones are still those of a teenager. And because his life is kind of an emotional roller coaster, but that's my fault.

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Dumbledore had called McGonagall through the Floo.

"Good evening, Minerva. Could you please fetch Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore said without much preamble.

"He is not in trouble, is he?" she asked, looking at Draco, who glared back at her.

"Oh no. Don't worry. I'd just like to talk to him."

McGonagall disappeared in the Floo.

"Do we really need him for this?" Draco asked.

"I believe we do."

"Is this because of that stupid prophecy? I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean that he is the only one who can defeat him."

Dumbledore looked at him warningly. "There are certain things that only he can do. When the time comes, you will understand this. Maybe today's task is one we could fulfil on our own, but the next one might not be and then he will need the knowledge and experience he will acquire today to complete it."

"Fine," Draco huffed, still not entirely convinced.

The fire in the fireplace flared up and suddenly there were no longer two, but three people in the room.

"You called for me, sir?" asked Potter, glancing in Draco's direction.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. What a pleasure to see you."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Can we cut the pleasantries and get to the point?"

Dumbledore looked amused. "Patience is a virtue, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"Harry," Dumbledore addressed him by his first name, "it has come to my attention, that Voldemort's followers are reforming and working towards bringing their master back."

Harry gasped and looked at Draco.

"Don't look at me," Draco raised his arms in front of him, "I didn't have anything to do with this."

"Voldemort has done unspeakable things to ensure his immortality. Mr. Malfoy is helping us work towards making him mortal again." Dumbledore let that sink in.

Harry looked rather pale.

Draco then watched as Dumbledore explained what Voldemort had done and what Horcruxes were.

Draco watched in mild amusement how Harry's expression changed from shocked to disgusted to completely appalled.

Then Dumbledore showed both of them a memory form Slughorn. Draco got to see a boy named Tom Riddle asking about Horcruxes. Dumbledore explained how Harry needed to get the real memory. Draco didn't quite get why they were doing all of this, but kept quiet. Dumbledore probably had his reasons.

"What's he got to do with it?" Harry finally asked, motioning his head towards Draco.

"We suspected a Horcrux in the Gringott's vault of Mr. Malfoy's aunt."

Draco reached for the cup on the desk. "Funny, how harmless it looks. It doesn't look like a piece of the evil soul of a psychopath." He threw it in the air and caught it again.

"That's- that's one?" Harry asked, flabbergasted.

"Yep, which leads us, again to the question: How do we destroy it?" Draco looked at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore pulled a torn book out of a drawer in his desk.

"The diary?" Harry asked.

"What diary?" asked Draco. Things were making less and not more sense.

"Tom Riddle's diary," said Potter, as if it would explain anything. "In our second year, the diary possessed Ginny and made her open the Chamber of Secrets. It was the diary of Tom Riddle, who you know as Lord Voldemort."

"Riddle isn't a wizard's name," Draco mused.

Potter grinned. "He's a halfbood. His father was a muggle."

Draco coughed a few times.

Potter turned from Draco to Dumbledore. "Is the diary a Horcrux, too?"

"I believe so," he smiled.

"So, you have already destroyed one?" asked Draco. "How did you do it?"

"Uhm- a Basilisk Fang."

Draco stared at Potter, mouth agape. "How do you always end up in situations like that?"

Potter just shrugged his shoulders.

"We can't use a basilisk… or can we?" Draco looked at Dumbledore.

"Fortunately, we don't have to."

Dumbledore walked to a glass case and took a sword out of it.

"The sword of Gryffindor," exhaled Harry.

"The what?" Draco asked. This was getting annoying.

"The sword of Godric Gryffindor," Harry repeated. "I used it to slay Slytherin's basilisk back in second year."

"You slayed a basilisk?" Draco asked. "The basilisk of Salazar Slytherin?"

Harry smiled at him apologetically.

"It only shows itself to worthy Gryffindors," Dumbledore explained and Draco rolled his eyes, "and imbibes substances which strengthen it."

"So, one of you _worthy_ Gryffindors can use it to destroy the cup?" Draco asked. "Let's try it."

Dumbledore gave Harry the sword and nodded at him encouragingly.

Harry took the sword and stood in front of Draco, who was still holding the cup. Harry slowly raised the sword and Draco saw how it shimmered in the light of the candles that lit Dumbledore's office.

Suddenly, Draco felt rage overcome him and fill every fiber of his being. How dare Potter take this task away from him when it was Draco who had done all the work? But that's what Potter always did. He let other people do his dirty work. Used them as human shields. It was his fault that Draco's father hated him now. And his fault that Crabbe and Goyle had died during the Battle of Hogwarts. His fault.

He raised his wand and pointed it right at Potter's heart.

"Uhm- Draco? What are you doing?"

"You," Draco growled. He was seething. "This is all your fault! All your fault!"

Potter took a few steps back and Dumbledore got up from his chair.

"You think you are all that but you're not. Chosen one, pah!" Draco spat. "Murderer, that's what you are. A bloody murderer. Killed your own parents. And a coward. And the son of a filthy mudblood."

"Mr. Malfoy," chided Dumbledore, who was now walking around his desk, wand in his hand.

"Shut up, Malfoy," growled Potter, growing agitated.

"No, you shut up! It's always about you! Those mudblood and blood-traitor friends of yours don't even like you. They just want a piece of your undeserved fame! Crucio!"

Potter dropped the sword and dove out of the way and the curse missed him by a few inches.

Draco turned towards Dumbledore. "Avada K-" but his wand flew out of his hand.

"Mr. Malfoy," the warning voice of the headmaster boomed.

But Draco didn't listen, he threw himself onto Potter, punching him and hitting him in the face with the cup.

Before he could do any real damage, everything turned black.

oooOOOooo

When Draco opened his eyes again, he first felt disoriented. But soon he realized that he was in the infirmary. The anger was gone and instead he felt miserable and lonely.

He looked around and noticed Harry Potter standing next to his bed.

Draco groaned and buried his face in his hands. The memories of what he had done came rushing back to him and his face burned in guilt and shame.

"I didn't really try to kill Albus Dumbledore, did I?" he muttered, and mentally added an "again" to his sentence.

Harry chuckled. "I think that's what you were going for."

Draco groaned and sat up to look at Harry. "Aren't you mad at me?"

"Not really. You broke my nose, by the way. Madame Pomfrey healed it, though."

"I am so sorry. For everything. I swear I don't know why I said any of that."

"It's okay. Really. I think it was the cup. The book made Ginny do things she would never do under normal circumstances, too. If I'm not mad at her for trying to kill me, it would be pretty unfair to be mad at you."

Draco sunk back into his pillow. "What happened?"

"I took the sword to destroy the cup, which you were holding. Suddenly you went totally bonkers. Said a few horrible things and then attacked me and then Dumbledore. Dumbledore disarmed you, so you decided to kill me the muggle way instead-"

"God, don't say it like that!" Draco interrupted, blushing.

"Just telling it how it is," laughed Harry. "Like I said, you broke my nose with that stupid cup. Dumbledore stunned you and we had to wrestle the cup out of your hands because even unconscious you wouldn't let go of it and spells didn't work either. Then I destroyed the cup with the sword. It was really weird. It was screaming and bleeding…"

"And then Dumbledore brought us here?"

Harry nodded his head. "Really hoped this would be a year without any visits to the infirmary."

"Ha, dream on, Potter. That'll never happen."

"Yeah, I came to the same conclusion," he sighed. "So, you are on our side, now?"

Draco shrugged. "Yeah."

"What changed your mind?"

Draco took a deep breath. "I can't really tell you. Maybe one day, but not today."

Harry's face fell. "That's okay. It's good that you've changed your mind, though."

Draco nodded his head.

"Uhm- I gotta leave now. It's almost time for Herbology…"

"What?!" Draco jumped out of bed.

"Yeah, you kind of spent the whole night here," Harry said apologetically. "See you around."

With that, Potter left. "See you around?" Draco mused. Since when did Potter want to see him around? Especially after he had just broken his nose?

A few minutes later, Daphne, Astoria, Theo and Neville walked into the infirmary.

"Oh my god, it is true," laughed Daphne, "first day back and you're already in the infirmary."

Astoria elbowed her older sister. "Be nice. He got hurt."

"What happened?" asked Neville.

"Aren't you supposed to have Herbology right now?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "Like you said last year, Sprout likes me, she won't mind. And we're only doing Bubotubers today." He wrinkled his nose.

Theo laughed. "Damn. We must be even worse of an influence than I thought."

"You guys having a free period?" he asked the others and they nodded their heads.

"Now tell us what happened," urged Daphne.

"Uhm," Draco fidgeted, "I'm not sure Dumbledore wants me to tell anyone."

"Dumbledore," gasped Astoria. "What are you doing with Dumbledore?"

"Ehm-" Draco didn't know what he was supposed to say.

"He doesn't have to tell us if he doesn't want to," said Neville.

"Spoil-sport," complained Theo.

"You can trust us," said Daphne. "We can keep a secret. We didn't tell anyone about Black either."

"Are you helping him do something about You-Know-Who?" asked Theo.

Draco looked alarmed.

"He's dead, why would they be doing something about him?" asked Daphne.

"I've heard rumors… And with what Goyle said today about _Him_ returning…"

"He'll be back?" asked Astoria.

"Shhh, be quiet, guys," whispered Draco. "Yes. Dumbledore thinks He'll return. Pretty soon, too."

He reached for his wand and cast a privacy charm - one never knew.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Daphne jumped from one foot to the other. "And you're doing something about it?"

"He… He has done something that makes him immortal. We are trying to undo that. Hopefully, by the time he does return, he will be mortal again. But guys, you have to keep this to yourself. Not a word to anyone."

"Of course not," piped Astoria and the others nodded in agreement.

"Can we help?" asked Theo.

"Maybe. But not right now. I'll let you know."

That was enough for them. For now. He was sure that soon they would want to know more.

They spent some time just talking until Madame Pomfrey let Draco leave with them for the second period of that day - Care of Magical Creatures.

TBC

What do you think, guys?

Greetings from Rumania.

Wrote this on a 3 hour bus ride on my phone


	46. Chapter 46

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

"You did what?!" gasped Neville.

Draco looked around. Once the horrible Care of Magical Creatures lesson was over and they had tended their injuries from the Blast-Ended Skrewts, Neville had asked Draco what had really happened with Dumbledore and Potter. They were currently in an empty classroom. Draco had cast a Muffliato, but still looked around to make sure that no one was around.

"I broke Potter's nose," Draco mumbled. "And tried to kill Dumbledore."

Neville stared at him, mouth agape. "You- You-"

"Yeah, I know," muttered Draco. He had told Neville everything. Seeing that Neville already knew about the time travel, he didn't really see a reason not to tell him about the Horcruxes.

"Wow," Neville buried his face in his hands. "But hey, that means two Horcruxes are destroyed already. How many more can there be?"

Draco gave this some thought. "Not too many, I suppose. They're not exactly easy to make. But I know of at least one more. It's at Hogwarts, actually."

"What? Where?" Neville looked alarmed.

"In the Room of Hidden Things. It's a tiara. But calm down, Nev. We're save and I'm not in any rush to repeat what happened yesterday," Draco said.

"But we have to destroy it," Neville persisted.

Draco looked at Neville. It amazed him just how different he was from the original 14-year-old Neville. This new Neville was active and brave. Quite like his older self. "We don't have time for that now, anyways. But we could do it on the weekend? Is that good enough for you?"

Neville nodded his head. "I guess. So, You-Know-Who is really coming back?"

Draco didn't say anything for a while. Then he nodded his head. "Yes. By the end of the year, I suppose."

"But with your knowledge, we can bring him down much faster, right?" Neville asked hopefully.

"I don't know. We know about the Horcruxes and we are destroying them so that's a huge advantage. And Dumbledore seems hopeful. But things are different now. The Death Eaters are already becoming active. Moody, although he wasn't the real one, isn't teaching us. He was the one who brought the Dark Lord back, so I don't know what their plan is now…"

No one said anything for a while. "You said they killed Cedric this year?" Neville finally asked.

Draco nodded his head.

"We should stop him from entering his name," Neville said.

That was something Draco hadn't thought about yet.

"I know things might already be so different that he won't die, but if we know about the possible death of someone and are able to do something about it, I think we are obliged to do everything in our power to stop it," Neville continued.

Draco's mind was racing. Maybe saving Cedric would kill someone else instead. Maybe he wouldn't die anyways. But if he didn't die then another champion wouldn't die either, so nothing was lost. It was unlikely that another champion would end up in the same situation Potter and Diggory had. Only a Hufflepuff would share the victory, thus ending up in the graveyard together. Draco's head was spinning. But then another thought hit him: Cedric's father was the reason why his son had almost died traveling through time.

"Let's do it," he said. If stopping Cedric meant that there was a slight chance his son would not get into trouble in the future, then he was willing to risk it. "The students who want to participate need to put their names into a goblet at the end of October, as far as I remember. So, we still have some time to figure out how exactly we're going to do it."

Neville nodded his head. "I think we ought to go now, Divination is starting in a couple of minutes."

Draco laughed. "You should have dropped that. It's the most useless subject ever taught at Hogwarts."

"Now that I know you, though, I think my homework will get a lot more accurate," Neville chuckled. Draco noted how he didn't contradict him on the subject of Divination.

"Well, I have Arithmancy next. A bit more useful, I would say. Oh, I almost forgot," Draco rummaged through his bag and pulled out a few books. "Here. Stole them from my father's library. Some of them are on medicine and some on the Cruciatus. Might help us with your parents."

Neville smiled at him. "Thanks."

oooOOOooo

After Arithmancy, Snape called Draco into his office.

"Sir?" Draco asked when he entered the office.

"Ah Draco. It is good to see you. Have a seat."

Draco nodded and sat down.

"I have heard you spent your first night back at Hogwarts in the infirmary?" Snape inquired.

"Y-yes," Draco had no idea how to explain this without talking about the Horcruxes.

"I hope everything is alright now," continued his godfather, studying Draco.

"Peachy," Draco smiled but knew it probably looked forced. "Congratulations on becoming the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Draco said, changing the topic.

Snape scrutinized Draco, but then smiled. "Thank you. It's long been an ambition of mine."

"I'm sure you'll be excellent at it."

"I do hope so, too," his smile faded. "You are not in any kind of trouble again, are you?" he asked.

Draco should have known changing topics wouldn't work for long. "No trouble, sir."

Snape sighed, seemingly annoyed with the lack of response from Draco. "The headmaster wants to speak with you." Draco stiffened. "You wouldn't happen to know why?"

"No idea," Draco lied.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "If you leave for his office now, you might make it back before curfew. If not," he handed Draco a piece of parchment, "this will excuse you should you run into any Professors or Mr. Filch."

"Thank you," Draco said and felt bad for all the lies he had to tell.

Snape looked like he wanted to say more, but ultimately just dismissed Draco.

oooOOOooo

"Headmaster?" Draco entered the office without much trouble. The stone gargoyle had just jumped aside when Draco approached.

"Mr. Malfoy, please, have a seat," said the headmaster once he saw Draco.

"I-I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. I really don't know what came over me," Draco mumbled, not looking into the headmaster's eyes, as he sat down.

"You have nothing to apologize for," said Dumbledore kindly. "Indeed, I feel like it is me who should apologize to you."

Draco's head perked up. "But you didn't do anything."

"I should have anticipated that the Horcrux would defend itself," Dumbledore continued. "Neither you nor Mr. Potter should have spent your first day back at the castle in the Hospital Wing."

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Is it gone now?" he asked.

"Yes," smiled the headmaster.

"I'll get the diadem on Saturday," Draco said, deciding to be open about it. "I know where it is and how to get it."

"Why such a hurry?"

"The sooner we get rid of these vile things, the better," grumbled Draco.

Dumbledore nodded his head. "Bring it to me once you have it and be sure not to touch it."

Draco nodded. Dumbledore seemed to trust him, which was a surprisingly good feeling.

oooOOOooo

The next days were rather uneventful. Slughorn started his Potions lesson the same way he had in Draco's sixth year, just with easier potions. Again, they had to guess which potions the Professor was presenting them with and then brew a potion. The best potion, again, one a Felix Felicis – also called Liquid Luck. Draco really wanted the Felix Felicis, but also knew that it wouldn't be fair to take it away from Potter, who had won it originally and probably needed it to complete his task for Dumbledore.

The potion they had to brew was annoyingly easy – a Shrinking Solution. Snape had given them an essay about it during the summer holidays between their second and third year and had then have the students brew it at the beginning of their third year. Draco had had an excellent essay, having met Snape during that summer. Snape had told him of his own version of the potion, which was quite different from the school book version. Draco had also practiced the Shrinking Solution with Neville several times so Snape wouldn't have to threaten him with poisoning his toad again. It had worked, too, Snape hadn't found anything to criticize about Neville's potion.

Draco decided to brew the potion how it was described in the potions book instead of using Snape's improved version. He probably shouldn't meddle with time unnecessarily anyways. And Potter or maybe Granger would win the potion and probably save the day with it.

His potion turned out alright, not the exact acid green color Draco knew it should have, but close enough to have the promised effect.

"Time is up," called Slughorn, nearing the end of the lesson. "Stop stirring, please!"

He walked around the classroom, looking at the potions of his students and smelled some of them.

"Well done," he murmured once he saw Draco's potion, and gave him an appreciative nod.

Granger's potion also got an approving nod. But then, Slughorn's face was filled with incredulous delight.

"The clear winner!" exclaimed Slughorn and Draco nearly knocked over his cauldron when he realized, who Slughorn meant. "Excellent, excellent, Mr. Longbottom. Good lord, I have never seen such a perfect potion before. Here you are, then, here you are – one bottle of Felix Felicis. Just as promised. Use it well."

Neville looked dumbfounded and the looks on the faces of the others in the classroom weren't any better.

Draco flashed Neville a smile, but felt rather overwhelmed by the whole experience.

oooOOOooo

Draco was rather excited for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with Snape, which they had a few days later. The first thing he noticed was that he shared this class with the Gryffindors. He was pretty sure that hadn't been the case originally. He also noticed that there were no tables or chairs in the classroom, so all the students stood around Snape, who was standing in the middle of the classroom.

Snape started the lesson, not unlike Slughorn, similar to how he had started it in Draco's sixth year.

"The Dark Arts," said Snape, "are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible. Your defenses must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo."

Snape seemed to be in a good mood. But then again, teaching DADA had always been his dream. And the students were more eager to learn about this subject than about Potions.

Snape proceeded to show them pictures of what horrible things the Dark Arts could do.

"Your previous teachers have done little to prepare you for the harsh reality of fighting the effects of the Dark Arts and defending yourself. We will change this. You won't need your books in this class as we will focus mainly on practical application."

The class was mesmerized by his speech. Surprisingly, even the Gryffindors seemed excited.

"Who in here can tell me something about the Protego charm?"

Granger's hand shot into the air. Snape took his time looking around at everybody else, checking if anyone else knew the answer. Finally, Theo raised his hand.

"Mr. Nott?"

"They create a magical barrier to deflect spells, in order to protect a certain person or area, sir."

"Very well. Five points to Slytherin. Who knows how many forms Protego has?"

This time, Granger's hand stayed the only one that was raised. "Very well – Miss Granger?"

"There are five forms. Protego, Duo, Horribilis, Totalum and Maxima."

It was a sign of just how good his mood must have been, that he gave five points to Gryffindor as well. "Does anyone know how to perform any of these varieties?"

When no one raised his hand, Theo said, "Draco does, Professor."

Draco glared at Theo and Snape raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? Would you be willing to share your expertise with the class?"

Draco wasn't keen on demonstrating just how beyond everyone else his knowledge was - really, he could cast a nonverbal shield charm in his sleep at this point. But he didn't have much of a choice.

"Sure," Draco smiled. "Who wants to attack me?" When no one answered, he continued, "Oh, come on. I'm sure some of you are dying to curse me into the next century."

"I'll do it," said Theo.

"Ok, throw your strongest curse at me," said Draco, getting into a fighting position.

"Alright," said Theo, grinning. "Petrificus Totalus!" he shouted without warning.

"Protego," yelled Draco, waving his wand in front of him. The white light from Theo's wand clashed into an invisible wall with a loud pang, briefly illuminating the whole room. The light bounced of the wall and back into Theo, who, with a yelp, flew several feet backwards, ending up in a Full Body-Bind himself.

Snape waved his wand, freeing Theo from the curse. "Very well," he smiled. "Ten points to Slytherin."

The others looked at Draco in astonishment.

"Anyone else wants a go?" asked Draco and was only met with shaking heads.

"As you have seen," continued Snape, "the incantation is Protego and the wand movement is a straight line," this he indicated with his own wand. "You will now divide into pairs. One partner will attempt to jinx the other. The other will attempt to block the attack. Carry on."

Draco practiced with Theo.

Typically, ten minutes into the lesson, Granger was able to block all of Neville's spells. With a little help from Draco, Theo was too, soon after.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Nott and Mr. Malfoy," Snape called, twenty minutes into the lesson. "I would like you three to partner up, as you seem to be ahead of your fellow classmates. Practice on each other. If you find the task too easy, try using the other forms of the spell or try casting nonverbally." He then went to help those who were still struggling with the basic charm.

"Wow," muttered Granger after five minutes of fighting Draco and Theo and actually having fun. "He is actually a pretty decent Defense teacher."

"Did you ever doubt that? Locomotor Wibbly!" asked Theo, mockingly, throwing a Jelly-Legs-Jinx her way.

"Protego Duo! Well, in Potions I never had the feeling that he actually wanted us to succeed," she said, blocking the jinx.

Another five minutes later, Potter was deemed good enough by Snape to join them.

"Hey, Granger," said Draco. "Fancy a duel? Just for fun, of course." When she looked at him uncertainly, he added, "and to practice our shields."

He was a bit bored by lazily throwing jinxes at the others and Granger was the best witch in the class.

"Alright," she said, still unsure of herself. She bowed to Draco.

Draco also bowed and grinned evilly.

"Colloshoo!" yelled Hermione.

"Protego!" the hex hit Draco's shield charm.

"Titillando!" Draco yelled.

"Protego Duo!" Hermione cried, and the purple light hit the shield charm violently and bounced back, hitting Theo, who fell to the ground laughing.

"Wingardium Leviosa," shouted Hermione and Draco felt how he grew lighter, soon floating in the air. "Protego!" he roared, falling back on the ground. "Confringo!"

"Protego! Incarcerous!"

Draco deflected the spell and it hit Potter, who ended up on the floor, bound and gagged, next to the still laughing Theo.

"Harry!" shrieked Hermione and Draco, exploiting the distraction, cast "Expelliarmus!".

The scarlet light hit Hermione and her wand flew into Draco's hand.

Draco looked around. Everyone had stopped practicing to watch their fight.

Snape waved his wand to free Potter and Theo from the spells that had accidentally been cast on them. Draco was sure that Snape would kill them, but he just said, "10 points to each of you, for the display of excellent dueling skills."

The class applauded, and Draco handed Hermione her wand back.

"That was fun," she conceded.

Draco grinned. It looked like this year DADA might actually be fun.

TBC

That's actually two chapters, but the website didn't work yesterday, so I couldn't upload and wrote another chapter instead and then decided to upload both of them together…

Merry Christmas to everyone :)

As always, tell me what you think of this chapter.


	47. Chapter 47

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

The week passed by quickly. On Saturday morning, Draco didn't even get to finish his breakfast before Neville stood by his side. He obviously hadn't forgotten about Draco's promise to retrieve the Horcrux.

"I've thought about it," started Neville quietly so no one would hear while Draco ate his porridge. "Should we ask Harry to join us?"

Draco nearly choked. "What?" he asked between coughs, "Why?"

Neville fidgeted. "Well, Dumbledore told you that he should know about these things. And we'll need him to destroy the thing anyways."

Draco knew that Neville was right. That didn't mean he had to like it, though. Reluctantly, he nodded his head and Neville hurried back to his own table, to talk to Potter, no doubt.

Draco finished his porridge.

"Morning Draco," he turned around again and saw Astoria standing behind him. The sight of her always brightened his day. "Daphne and I were wondering whether you'd want to spend the day by the lake with us?" she asked hopefully.

Draco frowned. This reminded him far too much of the day they had asked him to go to the Quidditch match with them. "Uhm, sure. But maybe later. I have to take care of something first."

"And what would that be?" asked Daphne, who was now standing beside her sister, her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"Uh… nothing important."

"So, you can postpone it?"

Draco held Daphne's gaze. "No."

Astoria frowned. "Are you and Neville up to something again?"

Draco's lack of a response seemed answer enough for them.

"Oh, come on," Daphne said. "Not again. You tried to keep us out of the loop last time and see where that led. You need our help."

Draco sighed. There really was no keeping secrets from them. "It might be dangerous."

"All the more reason for us to help," said Daphne, and it sounded final.

It was then that Neville joined them again, followed by the Golden Trio.

"Really?" Daphne huffed. "You're telling them but not us?"

"I didn't tell anyone! Neville!"

"I'm sorry. They wouldn't let Harry go on his own," he eyed Daphne and Astoria.

"Are they," Harry indicated his head towards the two girls, "joining us, too?"

"Yes," answered Daphne defiantly, "got a problem with that?"

"Uhm- no?" said Harry.

Draco sighed. This wasn't at all what he had envisioned. "Fine, let's go."

While leading all of them to the seventh floor, he explained what they were searching for. "We're looking for a diadem."

"Sorry, but what IS a diadem?" asked Ron Weasley.

"It's a type of crown," supplied Daphne, "like a tiara."

"Uhm, yeah," said Draco. "It's silver with a blue sapphire on it."

"Wait a second," said Astoria, "are you talking about the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw?"

Draco stopped and looked at Astoria. He hadn't known that it was Ravenclaw's but since the cup had belonged to Hufflepuff, it made sense. Not that Draco thought about it, he couldn't picture the Dark Lord just randomly choosing a diadem for his Horcruxes. He wasn't the one to wear jewelry - Draco almost chuckled at the thought of Voldemort wearing a tiara. "How do you know?"

"Well, I am a Ravenclaw," she shrugged her shoulders. "It's supposed to give its wearer wisdom. But it has been lost for centuries."

"Hmmm, I think we'll change that," smirked Draco.

"And why are we doing this?" asked Daphne.

"It's a dangerous piece of dark magic. We need to destroy it." That was all he was willing to tell them. Harry looked at Draco knowingly.

"And where is it?" asked Hermione.

"Ever heard of the Room of Requirement?" Draco asked. "It's a room that appears only if you really need it and can take whichever form you need."

"Isn't that just a myth?"

They had reached the left corridor on the seventh floor.

"You tell me," said Draco, walking up and down the corridor, thinking about the Room of Hidden Things and the Diadem.

He could hear the others gasped when the door appeared. "Okay. Let's go in. Look for the Diadem, but don't touch it, when you see it." He opened the door.

"Oh my," gasped Hermione, "it will take us ages to look through all of this stuff!" She looked, rather horrified, at the maze of hidden things.

"Can't we just summon it?" asked Astoria.

"Sadly, that doesn't work," breathed Draco. "But we're 7 people. We should be able to find it."

"Let's split up, then," suggested Weasley and the others agreed. Draco went with Neville, Daphne with her sister and the golden trio went together.

"Have you seen that thing before?" asked Neville once they were out of earshot.

Draco nodded his head, keeping his eyes on the piles of books and broomsticks and swords. "Potter found it here, during the final battle… I… tried to stop him," he really didn't like to talk about his past mistakes.

"What happened?"

"The Dark Lord was attacking Hogwarts and he wanted Potter. Crabbe, Goyle and I went to look for him and found him here. Crabbe and Goyle attacked. Crabbe conjured Fiendfyre… He died in the flames…" He sighed.

"I'm sorry," said Neville.

"It's… Thanks. It's okay. It was his own fault, he shouldn't have cast it… but…" he didn't know what to say. The memory still haunted him.

They kept searching the room in silence.

Draco was in the process of looking into a blistered old cupboard, when he heard Neville say, "Draco, I think I found it."

Something was wrong, though. Draco could tell immediately. Neville's voice didn't sound happy or relieved. He turned around and to his immense horror, saw Crabbe and Goyle standing there.

"Been looking for this, eh?" said Crabbe and held up the Diadem.

"Oh shit," muttered Draco. "Hey guys. What brings you here?"

"We wanted to play Exploding Snap with you," said Crabbe.

"You never spend time with us anymore," complained Goyle.

"Prefer to hang out with blood traitors and mudbloods instead," spat Crabbe. "Then we saw you leave with Potter and his friends."

"We followed you."

"Alright," said Draco, taking a step towards them, "I'm sorry I haven't spent much time with you lately. I'll change that."

"It's a little late for that, traitor," hissed Crabbe and Goyle turned to look at him.

"Uhm, Crabbe? Are you alright?" asked Goyle.

Crabbe drew his wand. "If Potter wants this," he indicated the Diadem, "I'm sure the Dark Lord, once he returns to us, will want it, too." Crabbe's voice was a lot darker and clearer than it usually was.

"Get away from him, Goyle," yelled Draco. "He's not himself anymore!"

Crabbe pointed his wand at Draco.

"A- aren't you a little overreacting?"asked Goyle.

"REDUCTO!" yelled Crabbe and the only reason the curse didn't hit Draco and Neville was that Goyle shoved Crabbe. The curse hit the cupboard behind Draco and blasted it into pieces. Draco grabbed Neville and pushed him behind a bookshelf.

Crabbe pushed Goyle out of his way.

"Draco?" Daphne yelled. "What's going on? Are you talking to someone?"

With a whiplike movement, Crabbe pointed his wand at a fifty-foot mountain of old furniture, of broken trunks, of old books and robes and unidentifiable junk, and shouted, "Descendo!"

The wall began to totter, then the top third crumbled and fell towards Draco and Neville.

They both jumped aside, but Draco got buried underneath falling objects.

"Draco!" he could hear Neville yell. They were now separated by the fallen wall.

Draco struggled to free himself from the heap of objects. He felt two sets of hands grab his arms and pull him out. The hands belonged to Daphne and Astoria.

Draco heard innumerable objects crashing to the floor on the other side of the destabilized wall: He pointed his wand at the rampart, cried, "Finite!" and it steadied.

Somewhere out of sight, he could hear Crabbe bellow "Mudblood! Crucio!", followed by the tortured screams of Hermione.

"Flipendo!" that sounded like Neville. The Knockback jinx must have hit its target, because Hermione had stopped screaming.

"What's going on?" hissed Daphne.

"Crabbe's got the Diadem. It's possessing him! We need to get over there!"

But it looked rather hopeless, they were trapped in the junk that was laying around them.

"Give up, Crabbe," yelled Potter, "you're surrounded and outnumbered."

"INCENDIO!"

The pile that was separating Astoria, Daphne and Draco from the rest, was now set aflame. The flames soon surrounded the three.

Draco cursed under his breath. It wasn't Fiendfyre, but it wasn't much better either.

"Petrificus Totalus!" bellowed Ron Weasley on the other side of the burning wall.

Draco searched the trash around them for anything useful, like a broom, but he couldn't find anything.

"Aqua Eructo!" yelled Daphne and a jet of water erupted from her wand and was sent towards the flames.

Draco and Astoria did the same, but Draco knew that it was hopeless. There were too many and they were too high. The fire was expanding as fast as they were able to put it out. The smoke was growing heavier too and soon all of them were coughing and Draco's eyes were burning. The heat was increasing steadily. Draco felt desperate. Not only was he responsible for his own death, no, he had to bring the Greengrass sisters and drag them down with him.

When he thought all hope was lost, he could see the shape of Neville through the smoke. He was flying towards them, on a broom, holding another broom in his hands.

Neville threw the broom at Draco, who caught it. Draco mounted the broom and pulled Astoria onto it behind him. Neville flew down to them and Daphne joined him on his broom.

Draco could feel Astoria cling to him and he could feel her breath in his neck, which momentarily distracted him. But then he pushed himself off the ground.

Once they were all airborne, they all cast water-making spells to extinguish the flames.

And once the flames were put out, they landed next to the golden trio.

Crabbe lay on the ground in a full Body-Bind. Goyle was cowering in a corner. Harry was holding the diadem, wrapped in robes. Since they were all wearing theirs, Draco assumed they had found the robes somewhere in the room.

"That was close," breathed Daphne, still holding on to Neville, even though they weren't on the broom anymore. Draco could see that she was shaking and coughing. Astoria wasn't fairing any better, so Draco put a reassuring arm around her.

"We should get the diadem to Dumbledore," said Harry.

"And those two," added Draco, motioning his head in the direction of Crabbe and Goyle. "And we should get Hermione to Madame Pomfrey."

They all looked at Hermione, who was sitting on the ground, teary eyed and trembling.

They decided that Harry and Draco would bring the diadem and Crabbe and Goyle to the headmaster and that the rest would go to the hospital wing.

TBC


	48. Chapter 48

**Happy New Year** , my old and new readers and followers :) I got to say, it's a great feeling to start the new year with an email inbox telling me that my story has new followers :D thank you all who have read, followed or reviewed my story, it is always an incredible feeling.

It's one of my New Years Resolutions to finish this story and I have quite a few ideas what to do with it, so don't worry :)

There is one thing I'd like to share with you guys: This New Year's Eve, I've learned that our decisions are truly what make us who we are and what decides our way. I chose to work this New Year's Eve. It was a conscious decision. I didn't want to go clubbing, my friends were all celebrating with their boyfriends and I don't have a boyfriend. I didn't feel like celebrating with my family either (I love my grams but I can really only hear her telling me to find a nice guy so she can meet her grandchildren before she dies so often before it gets annoying). Anyways, a good friend of mine works at the same place I do and she had a pretty shitty year. She's lost her best friend, university life isn't going great and she might lose her job. A lot of it is out of her control. But whether this New Year's Eve would be a good memory or a bad one, that was within her control. My coworkers and I played cards, ate brownies and chocolate and drank champagne. Her ex best friend came by and gave her a present. She decided to not accept the present and play on her phone while we played cards. She said she wasn't hungry and didn't like wine. A lot of things might be out of her control, but this wasn't. Not starting over with her best friend wasn't destiny, it was a decision. Not celebrating with us and having fun with friends was a decision she made, not fate. I've mentioned it in this story already and Dumbledore said it in the books too, "it's our choices that show what we truly are." Never have I understood this to be so true as I have that day. Not everything is in our control and shit happens, but often there is a lot more we can do and decide than we think and I hope my friend will learn this in 2018.

Anyways, enough about me. I hope you all will have a fantastic 2018.

As always, read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Draco, breathing heavily and still coughing, together with Harry, who was holding the wrapped up Diadem, Goyle, who hadn't said anything since the whole ordeal had started, and an unconscious Crabbe, who they were levitating, made his way through the castle. Fortunately, it was still early morning on a Saturday and there were hardly any students outside their dormitories.

Draco's mind was racing. Crabbe and Goyle had seen the Diadem. They had seen it, they knew it was important, they knew it had been full of Dark magic,... If - or rather, when - the Dark Lord returned, Crabbe and Goyle would join him. There were no two ways about it, sooner or later, they would. And then, the Dark Lord would know that Draco not only knew about his Horcruxes, but that he was destroying them as well. Then he would make new ones. Ones, Draco didn't know about and could do nothing about. And he would try to find Draco. Torture him and intrude his mind. He was a good Occlumens, but not good enough to withstand hours of torture and Legilimency. And if the Dark Lord broke through his Occlumency shields... He didn't even want to think about it. The war would probably be won by the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord would know about Snape's allegiance... His punishment would be slow, gruesome and fatal...

Why did none of his plans ever work out the way he wanted them to? He was sure that had never happened to Potter and his friends...

He could feel a headache forming in his head. He looked at Potter. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as well.

When they arrived at the stone gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office, Draco had reached a decision. He stopped walking and drew his wand, pointing it at Crabbe and Goyle.

"What are you-?" Harry started to ask.

"Obliviate," cast Draco, before Potter could stop him. Goyle's eyes glazed over and he looked a bit disoriented. The memory charm had worked.

"What the?"

"Shh- I had to do it. Or would you rather have them know about the H-" Draco noticed that Goyle was looking at him, "you know what?"

"No. But you can't just do that to people! It's probably not even legal. You should have talked to Dumbledore first."

"He wouldn't have let me do it," Draco answered defiantly. He had thought about it but knew that Dumbledore believed in giving people choices. And erasing memories was quite the opposite.

"Then there are probably good reasons why you shouldn't have done this! What if you didn't do it right? Do you want them to end like Lockhart?"

Draco glowered at Harry. By now, the stone gargoyle had stepped aside and they made their way up the circular, moving stone staircase.

"Good morning," greeted Dumbledore. His trade-mark twinkle disappeared as soon as he saw how distraught Harry looked. His eyes wandered from Harry to Draco, who's disheveled appearance made him look grim. His eyes then fell on Crabbe and Goyle and he threw Draco a sharp glance.

He knew, Draco thought. He knew about the memory charm.

"What happened?" the headmaster finally asked.

"They followed us," said Draco, motioning his head towards Goyle and Crabbe, who was still floating in the air. Then he coughed and a sharp pain shot through his head.

"And Draco cast a memory charm," growled Harry.

"How'd I get here?" asked Goyle, looking around the room. He still looked rather confused and disoriented.

Dumbledore looked at Goyle kindly. "Your friend has unfortunately hit his head. I have offered to bring him to Madame Pomfrey. Do not worry. You may return to your room."

Goyle, although still looking confused, nodded and left the office.

"Mr. Malfoy," admonished Dumbledore and his disappointment and disapproval were evident.

"They saw!" Draco immediately defended himself. "Do you have any idea what that could mean once the Dark Lord is back?"

"This was not your decision to make and I will not allow you to attack other students in my school."

"Why don't you expel me, then?" hissed Draco. He knew Dumbledore would never expel him. He needed to keep Draco under his watch so the Death Eaters wouldn't get to him and his valuable information.

"Mr. Malfoy, watch your tone or you will serve detention with Mr. Filch," stated Dumbledore.

 _Don't treat me like a child_ , Draco wanted to say, but couldn't. Not as long as Potter was in the room.

Draco slumped into a chair and glared at Dumbledore.

"Judging by your behavior, I assume you have found the Diadem?"

Draco blinked. Was it possible that he had again been influenced by a Horcrux? He hadn't even touched it.

Harry looked at Draco, then at Dumbledore. "Yes." He put the tightly wrapped Horcrux on the desk and freed it from all the robes.

Dumbledore leaned forward to examine it. Then he got out the sword again and gave it to Harry.

The Diadem hissed, but before anything could happen, Harry had brought down the sword and cut it in two. Something light and misty swirled out of the Diadem, but also something black, that looked like blood.

Draco felt lighter immediately. Apparently the thing really had had an effect on him. Now he regretted how he had talked to the headmaster. "I am sorry," he breathed. "I don't know why they affect me so."

"I do have some theories, but this is neither the time nor the place to discuss them," said Dumbledore.

Draco nodded but he felt dizzy doing so.

"Harry," Dumbledore turned his attention to Potter, "have you had the chance to talk to Prof. Slughorn yet?"

"Ehm- no. But I will."

"Good. Good." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "We made some important progress today."

"So, he's really coming back? Voldemort?"

Draco flinched at Harry's use of the name. Potter looked sad, but not as shocked as he had when Dumbledore had first told him about the Horcruxes.

"Yes," Dumbledore said gravely, "there is reason to believe he will return soon."

"I should have known..." Potter mumbled.

"Known why?" asked Draco.

Harry looked at Draco as if he were surprised by his interest. "I've been having these weird dreams," he admitted. "I didn't think much of it but then my scar began to hurt again..."

What did the scar have to do with anything, wondered Draco.

"What kind of dreams, Harry?" asked Dumbledore and he looked far to interested for Draco's liking.

"Ehm- I've seen V-Voldemort... he talked to Wormtail- ehm, I mean Pettigrew... and there was a snake and..."

A snake? Draco paled. If that was Nagini then the Dark Lord had already made another Horcrux. "And what?" he asked.

"He- uhm- he killed a muggle. He told his snake to eat the man."

That sounded way too realistic to be just a dream. "Legilimency?" asked Draco Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked out of the window into the distance. He didn't seem too happy. "Quite possibly." He turned back to look at the boys. "I believe you might benefit from learning Occlumency, Harry."

"Occlu- what?"

"Occlumency. It is the magical defense of the mind against external penetration. An obscure branch of magic, but a highly useful one."

"Oh. Do you think that's what Voldemort is doing? Reading my mind?"

Dumbledore smiled. "It is a bit more complicated than that, but yes."

"And you will be teaching me?"

"No. I fear I am not the best candidate to do this. I believe Professor Snape-"

"No!" Harry jumped up and his loud voice increased Draco's headache.

"Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, "Professor Snape is the best Occlumens I know."

"Surely not better than you, sir," said Harry.

Potter argued some more with the headmaster, but Draco could barely concentrate on them.

"Professor Snape will teach you," Dumbledore finally said in a tone that left no room for further argument. "Now, tell me what happened today."

Potter looked unhappy, but told Dumbledore everything about their adventures in the Room of Requirement.

"There is not much to do about Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle, I believe. They do not remember what happened," at that he looked sharply at Draco, "and we cannot hold them responsible for what they did under the influence of the Horcrux. You can leave now, Harry. I will bring Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Malfoy to the infirmary."

"Why me?" asked Draco.

"You are clearly showing signs of smoke inhalation."

„So that's what this is?" groaned Draco and let his head sink onto the desk before him. „I feel like my had is going to explode."

Harry left the room and Dumbledore helped the two remaining Slytherins to the Hospital Wing.

„I believe," Dumbledore said on the way there, „that you would also benefit from Occlumency lessons."

„With Professor Snape?"

„No, with me."

„With you, sir?"

„Yes. We need to construct memories that, should you ever be captured by Voldemort, show an ordinary boy who knows nothing of Horcruxes and who thinks that Professor Snape is a devoted follower of him."

Draco nodded. He knew how important this was. It wasn't just about his own safety. It was about the safety of his friends and his godfather and might be imperative if they wanted to win the war.

In the infirmary, the second time in just a week he noted unhappily, Draco got the chance to tell Daphne, Astoria and Neville what had happened.

„You have to spend more time with Crabbe and Goyle," said Neville once Draco had finished his tale.

„What? Are you crazy? They tried to kill us! They can count themselves lucky if I don't hex them every time I see them from now on."

„No!" hissed Draco, „they don't even now what happened anymore and you can't punish Crabbe for something he did while under the influence of the Diadem."

„And you guys not spending time with him is the reason why they were there in the first place," added Astoria. „They probably just felt lonely."

„Fine," growled Daphne. „But you can't force me to like them."

Draco chuckled. „No problem."

TBC


	49. Chapter 49

Thank you for all the reviews :)

Aiyanna Clearwater - I thought about those things, too. I actually wrote how Dumbledore gives Draco detention and docks points originally, but when I read over it again it just seemed really out of character for him. In the books, Harry literally trashed his office and he didn't do anything about it.

"By all means continue destroying my possessions," said Dumbledore serenely. "I daresay I have too many."

And even when Draco tries to kill him at the end of HBP, Dumbledore doesn't threaten Draco. He just talks to him and is understanding. I don't remember Dumbledore ever docking points or giving detention. So I deleted that part and just wrote how Dumbledore is angry and disapproves. It does make Draco feel bad but he has done what he did out of good reasons (protecting others) and he has been influenced by the Horcrux and had been suffering from smoke inhalation, so I think we need to cut him some slack. And Draco is right when he's thinking that Dumbledore can't throw him out of school. Draco is his key to win the war, so he wouldn't want to lose him. And more than that, if he threw him out he wouldn't be protected from the Death Eaters and then Voldi would know about the time travel, about Harry winning, about Snape's allegiance, about the destruction of his Horcruxes, and with that knowledge, Voldemort would most certainly win the war.

Regarding Draco forbidding his friends from joining him in the Room of Requirement... You are, of course, right, but Draco couldn't have anticipated things getting that out of hand and he probably thought he would have things under control. He didn't, of course, and having so many people with him made it of course easier for Crabbe and Goyle to follow them. Besides Draco's motivation for doing things, it would be a bit boring to have Draco act perfectly rational all the time and I don't think it is realistic.

I'm glad you like my story and I always love to hear what my readers think :)

As always, read, enjoy and review :)

OooOOOooo

Time passed quickly. Juggling researching and studying with Neville, spending time with his friends and working on his Occlumency kept Draco quite busy. He tried to spend time with Crabbe and Goyle as well, which was a bit difficult, seeing that they were still not too happy about Theo, but somehow Draco managed. His Occlumency lessons were going rather well. He was working on fake memories that were easily accessible to a Legilimens. The plan was to eventually build layer upon layer of memories, so less important and fake memories were easy to find and more important ones harder. First a Legilimens would not find anything suspicious. Upon further investigation, an attacking Legilimens would then, after a lot of work, find some compromising fake memories, that still wouldn't lead to any problems. These memories showed him as a time traveler, but they showed that he had reached nothing during his time in the past and that he didn't know anything important about the future. There were layers upon layers and even an accomplished Legilimens would have trouble getting to the truly important ones. But to reach that level, Draco would still need hours of training with Dumbledore.

Draco could often see Harry talking to Slughorn. He didn't know, though, if he had had any success in acquiring the memory yet.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was going great. Snape had apparently decided to skip everything that could not directly be used in the upcoming war. He didn't teach magical creatures, but decided to focus on healing, defensive and offensive magic and his lessons were closer to dueling sessions than normal lessons, which most students quite liked.

When Draco arrived in the entrance hall sometime in October after a particularly nasty Care of Magical Creatures class - well, they were all nasty since the only thing they were doing was working with Blast-Ended Skrewts - he found himself unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase. Draco pushed through the crowd to get a good look at the sign.

 **TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

 _The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early — Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast._

The crowd was excited and chattered away. Draco tried to get out of there to get to the Great Hall, but was stopped by a hand on each of his shoulders.

„Look who we have here," said a voice which must have belonged to one of the hands.

„If it isn't our favorite Slytherin - not that that's particularly hard - and honorary brother."

Draco turned around to come face to face with the Weasely twins.

„Hey guys. What are you two up to? I don't have to watch what I'm eating again, do I? I don't want to be turned into a ferret or anything."

„A ferret," one of them mused, scratching his chin and eyes twinkling, „now that's an idea."

Draco's face paled considerably.

"Just kidding," said the other twin, but they looked at each other conspiratorially.

"Ehm, right. You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet? Thought any more about trying to enter?"

"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," said one of them bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

Draco chuckled.

"But I'm sure we'll find a way," said the other, sounding hopeful.

"You'll try and get in, won't you, Draco?" continued the other.

"Uhm, I haven't thought about it."

The twins looked at him, their mouths wide open.

"Haven't thought about it?"

"This is only the most exciting-"

"-most spectacular-"

"-most amazing thing that has ever happened in this school."

"Right," said Draco, faintly amused.

"Mark my words, Fred and George Weasley will enter their names. We can help you too, if you'd like."

"I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," said a new voice. "We just haven't learned enough."

"Speak for yourself, Hermione," said one of the twins shortly.

Draco was surprised at how cold the twins were to Hermione.

"Better watch out, Draco," one of them said.

"She'll try to get you to join S.P.E.W." continued the other, wrinkling his nose.

"S.P.E.W.? Never heard of it," said Draco.

"Of course you haven't. She invented it. Has been bothering every Gryffindor who can't hide fast enough."

Hermione glared at the twins, then turned towards Draco, putting a badge into his hands that read S.P.E.W. "It means "Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare". You know, house-elves get a very raw deal! It's slavery, that's what it is!" she explained. "Did you know that your sheets are changed, your fires lit, your classrooms cleaned, and your food cooked by a group of magical creatures who are unpaid and enslaved?"

Draco shrugged. He didn't really care about that. "How many members do you have?" he asked, amused.

"Two, if you join her," laughed one of the twins.

"Fred! That's not true," huffed Hermione indignantly. "A few people have joined already."

"To stop you from pestering them."

"That's not true," she huffed.

"My dear Mione," said the other twin, "no one cares. And have you ever been to the kitchen?"

"Well… no," she answered carefully, sensing a trap. "Of course not. I hardly think students are supposed to-"

"Well, we have," said the other twin, indicating his brother, "loads of times, to nick food. And we've met them, and they're happy. They think they've got the best job in the world!"

Before Hermione could come up with a retort, Draco slowly backed up and got away from their conversation.

The following days, the castle seemed to be undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning. Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects, who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces. The suits of armor were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking, and Filch was behaving so ferociously to any students who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first-year girls into hysterics.

The school was cleaned and decorated. The banners of the four houses and the Hogwarts banner hang wherever one looked. Classes were tough. No one paid any attention during lessons, being much more interested in the arrival of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, and the teachers were tense, too.

When the bell rang early on Friday, everyone hurried back to their dorms, deposited their bags and books as they had been instructed, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.

The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.

"Straighten your hat, Mr. Goyle" Professor Snape instructed, examining his students one last time. "Now follow me, please," he said. "First years in front . . . no pushing. . . ."

"I am so excited," said Pansy, standing right next to Draco. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

"I doubt it," said Draco.

Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers —"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

"There!" yelled a sixth year Gryffindor, pointing over the forest.

Draco watched in amusement how his classmates nearly flipped out at the sight of the gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them. It was pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant. The students from Beauxbaton had arrived.

It wasn't long before a loud and oddly eerie noise announced the arrival of Durmstrang. Seconds later a gigantic ship emerged from the lake.

The students were mesmerized. Draco had been too, when he first saw the arrival of the two other schools. But having spent a whole year with them already, Draco now found it more interesting to watch his friends' reactions to the arrival. They were all standing there, mouths wide open, staring.

Their reaction was even funnier when, at the Feast, Draco waved the Durmstrang students over and invited them to sit with them.

"I can't believe it," gushed Theodore, "it's Viktor Krum. Sir," he said, turning to Krum, who was sitting next to Draco and opposite of Theo, "it is an honor to meet you." He shook his hand.

Krum looked a bit annoyed by the attention he was getting. "It is fine. Call me Viktor, please."

Pansy and Daphne and literally the whole table were fawning over their star.

"I'm sorry, Victor," laughed Draco, "my friends aren't usually like this. I am Draco, by the way."

"I am used to it," said the world class Quidditch player, shrugging his shoulders. "Nice to meet you, Draco."

"And who are you?" asked Draco the other two Durmstrang students sitting close to Viktor Krum. Most other Durmstrang students were sitting with the older Slytherins. Draco had never bothered to befriend anyone but Krum originally, and that hadn't worked either.

One of them, a girl with blond hair and big blue eyes, almost jumped out of her seat. Apparently, it was unusual to be spoken to if sitting next to a Quidditch legend.

"Johanna Erikson," she said, smiling shyly.

"And I'm Serge," said the other Durmstrang student. He looked at Draco and his friends, who now introduced themselves as well.

"So, how's Durmstrang? My father thought about sending me there, but in the end, obviously, decided against it."

"It is okay, yah. Not as nice as Hogwarts," answered Johanna.

"Vell, ve have a castle also," said Krum, "not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking. Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds larger even than these — though in vinter we have very little day-light, so ve are not enjoying them. But in summer ve are flying every day, over the lakes and the mountains…"

"I wish we could fly every day, too," sighed Theo. "If you aren't on the Quidditch team, you hardly get to fly at all around here."

"We have more daylight here, I think," said Draco, "but it probably rains more than in Norway."

They talked some more and Draco found out that Serge was from Russia and Johanna from Sweden.

When Crouch and Bagman arrived at the head table and sat next to Karkaroff and Madame Maxim, Dumbledore began his speech, first introducing their guests, then explaining the further procedings.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore announced calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.

Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line. Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

Draco looked over to Neville. 24 hours. They had to be on the watch 24 hours to keep Cedric from entering his name. That couldn't be too hard now, could it?

The twins' eyes gleamed and Draco knew they would use an aging potion to try and fool the Age Line. How foolish they were to believe they could outsmart Albus Dumbledore.

When everyone went back to their dormitories, or ships or carriages, Draco grabbed Neville.

"What are we going to do?" he whispered.

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "Do you know when Cedric puts his name into the cup?"

"No," Draco answered.

"So, I guess we'll just have to stand guard for the whole 24 hours?" Neville said.

Draco sighed. "I guess so."

"But what do we do when he gets here? I doubt we'll be able to talk him out of it. And we can't wrestle him down or anything."

"Good question," pondered Draco. "I guess we could stun him and lock him into an empty classroom for 24 hours… but it is a bit extreme, even for the greater good."

"Draco!" Neville gave him a look of bewilderment.

"Just thinking out loud," laughed Draco.

They sat down at an empty table and watched the hall clear out.

"What if one of us needs to go to the infirmary? He is a prefect, he'd need to take care of that," suggested Neville after a while.

Draco groaned. "Another night in the infirmary? They should form a fifth house for people like me, who practically live there."

"Stop whining. I didn't want to hex you anyways. You'll hex me," offered Neville.

Draco considered this for a while. He wasn't happy with the solution, but couldn't think of a better one either. "Alright. But you need to make sure he stays with you in the Hospital Wing so long he has to postpone putting his name in. And I don't want to get detention or anything."

"We could do it in the hallway in front of the Hufflepuff common room. Then you could go to sleep and I could tell him I didn't see who did it."

"Neville, you are a genius."

They watched a few people put their names into the cup, then made their way to the right-hand side corridor near the kitchens, where the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room was.

"Please don't use anything too painful," said Neville, now slightly panicked.

"Don't worry, I have just the perfect spell for this."

They waited for a couple of minutes, but eventually they heard Cedric Diggory talking to someone else, coming closer to where they were.

"Good luck, Neville," whispered Draco, "and I'm really sorry for this. Densaugeo!"

Neville's front teeth were now growing at an alarming speed. Neville looked like an overgrown beaver. Draco would have laughed had the situation not been so serious.

Draco had to hide, so he ran towards the portrait of a gigantic silver fruit bowl and tickled the pear. It turned into a large green door handle. The Weasley twins weren't the only ones who knew how to get into the kitchens.

He could hear Cedric saying "Oh my, what happened to you?" before the door behind him closed again.

Once in the kitchen, Draco was surprised to find out he wasn't alone. Besides a huge number of house elves, there were also Fred, George and Lee Jordan, huddled around a cauldron.

"What the-?" Draco gasped.

"Draco!" yelled one of the twins, "how nice of you to join us. Have you changed your mind about entering the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Ehm… no? I'm just here… because I got hungry," Draco stammered, grabbing an apple out of a fruit bowl and biting into it. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Brewing an aging potion, of course," answered the other twin, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, pouring some of it in a vial and putting a stopper in it. "The effects are only temporary, so we'll take it tomorrow morning, right before we'll enter our names."

Lee looked at Draco warily, but then said, "We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins."

"Genius," said Draco, amused.

"You want to try it, too?" asked one of the twins. "There is enough for all of us."

Draco wanted to decline, but then changed his mind. "Sure, why not."

TBC

A lot longer and very different from what I had originally planned, but I like it. Draco and Neville were able to stop Cedric from putting his name into the cup for now, but he will sure try again the next day, so they'll have to come up with a new plan.

As always, I am happy to hear what you think :)


	50. Chapter 50

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Draco left the kitchens quite pleased with himself. He made his way back to Slytherin. He fell asleep, feeling like for once, things might actually work out the way he wanted them to.

The next morning, he got up really early and made his way down to the Great Hall before everyone else, even though everyone else was getting up early too.

He took his books with him so he could study a bit. He had a feeling that he would spend a big part of his day in the Entrance Hall.

The only two other people already there were a sleepy looking Neville, who sat down next to Draco at the Slytherin table, and Bagman who was sitting at the Head Table.

"Good morning, my fellow conspirator," Draco greeted happily.

Neville, apparently, wasn't in such a good mood. "Mornin'," he mumbled.

"Had a long night?" Draco asked empathetically.

"You have no idea. Cedric brought me to the infirmary alright. But then he wanted to leave, so I had to pretend to be in horrible pain, so he wouldn't," Neville sighed heavily, "Pomfrey used all kinds of diagnostic spells and charms, but obviously nothing was wrong with me. She shrunk my teeth back to their normal size – thanks for that, by the way," he glowered at Draco.

"I'm sorry," Draco said, but he was grinning so brightly that he didn't convince Neville.

"Then I asked Cedric to bring me back to my dorm. I said I was too scared to go on my own, since, you know, the attacker might come back."

"That was brilliant," said Draco.

"That was embarrassing," countered Neville. He grabbed a pear from a fruit bowl on the table. "That stopped him from putting his name in yesterday but what should we do about today?"

"Oh, I already have a plan. I got the house elves to put the aging potion from Fred and George on everyone's breakfast."

Neville dropped the pear he was just about to bite into.

"What?" He shrieked.

"That will lead to a commotion of epic proportions and will keep everyone in the infirmary for half the day," he said gleefully.

"Hmm... Draco?" Neville asked innocently.

"Yes?"

"How to put this?" Neville rubbed his chin contemplatively, "You are crazy. Completely mental."

Draco chuckled. "If you don't want people to think you were in on the joke, you should eat some of the food, too."

Neville glanced at the food on the table. "No thanks. I think I lost my appetite."

Draco laughed and Neville tried to look angry, but couldn't hide his amusement.

"But what if he throws his name in before he eats anything? He'll pass the goblet in the Entrance Hall before he comes to the Great Hall."

"Well, we'll just have to make sure that that doesn't happen. Now, eat something." Draco pushed his own plate towards Neville. „I made sure the house elves would give me one that hasn't been tampered with."

Neville looked wary, but ate some toast anyways.

Then they made their way back into the Entrance Hall, where the first students were now arriving.

A few students put their names in the goblet and the steadily growing crowd watched them. Draco kept scanning the room for Diggory, but couldn't see him.

„Mornin' guys," greeted Theo sleepily. "Anything interesting happened?"

„Hmm... not really. Couple of people put their names in the cup. Cassius Warrington. You know him, he's in our house. Then that Gryffindor girl that plays Chaser for Gryffindor..."

„Angelina Johnson?" supplied Neville.

„That's the one," said Draco.

They watched the Durmstrang students arrive. All of them put their names into the goblet.

"I did it," exclaimed Johanna excitedly, walking over to Draco, Neville and Theo.

"Awesome," said Theo. "I wish I could put my name in, too. But we're too young," he sighed.

"I am sure there will be another competition, yah," said Johanna, trying to cheer him up. "When you are older."

Theo shrugged his shoulders. "One can only hope."

Viktor and Serge soon joined them and they chatted for a while, observing the Entrance Hall and the people that put their names in the cup.

Then Cedric Diggory arrived and Draco and Neville walked over to him. Draco as thinking of what to tell him, but needn't have worried. Right behind Diggory was the whole of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic arrived in the Entrance Hall (or at least everyone off age who had decided to come to Hogwarts). At the same time, the Weasley twins arrived, too. A huge line was forming before the cup.

"Hi Cedric," Neville started. "Thanks again for yesterday. Don't know what I would have done without you."

"No problem," said Cedric.

"Are you going to throw your name in?" asked Draco, motioning his head toward the goblet.

"Yeah, but wow, I didn't expect their to be such a long line. I wanted to get up earlier, but I was so tired..."

"Maybe you should go eat breakfast first," offered Draco, "and put your name in when there are less people around."

The Hufflepuff studied Draco for a while. "Not a bad idea, actually."

Cedric and his friends went into the Great Hall. Draco and Neville followed them, both sitting down at their respective tables.

The Great Hall was now slowly filling with people who were eagerly eating their breakfast.

Draco didn't talk to Pansy, Tracey or Daphne and didn't eat anything. He told them he wasn't hungry. He chose to watch Cedric eat instead. Diggory was already halfway through his porridge, when the first signs of something being wrong could be observed. It was most obvious with the first years. They were the smallest. Or rather, they were usually the smallest. Suddenly, even the shortest first year was at least as tall as Draco, their faces sporting zits and the beginnings of what might one day be called a beard. But the firsties weren't the only ones, just the most obvious ones. Soon, every student in the hall had reached varying states of adulthood, depending on how much they had eaten. Crabbe and Goyle's faces were now full of wrinkles and their white, long hair matched their Dumbledore-style beards.

Draco couldn't help it and started to laugh when he saw them. He wasn't the only one who had noticed, though. Shrieks and laughter could be heard all over the hall.

"Not hungry my ass," growled Pansy. "You did this," she said, gesturing up and down her body, which looked to be in its twenties.

"I don't know," Draco said, laughing, "what you are talking about." He swiped away a tear form the corner of his right eye.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Daphne, indignantly.

"Plausible deniability," grinned Draco.

"The teachers too?" asked Tracey worriedly.

"What?" Draco's face fell and he looked up to the head table. Only Bagman, Snape and McGonagall were sitting there. Bagman still looked the same, McGonagall looked only slightly older and Snape looked about twenty years older and quite annoyed. "Shit," muttered Draco. The house elves must have taken his words to literally. When he said everyone's food he had meant every student.

"Wow," mused Daphne, "age sure looks good on Snape."

"Daphne!" giggled Pansy, but nodded her head in agreement.

It looked like Snape and McGonagall were about to make their displeasure known, when Dumbledore entered the Great Hall. He assessed the situation and told everyone effected to go to the Infirmary.

Draco chanced a look at Cedric and was pleased to see that he was in his thirties at least and walking towards the Infirmary with everyone else.

To his dismay, Snape made his way towards Draco. "Mr. Malfoy. I hope you feel well, seeing that you haven't eaten anything today."

"I am fine, Professor. Thank you for asking, though," said Draco cheekily.

"Have you done this? Did you put an aging potion into the food?"

"You can give me Veritaserum, sir, I swear I did not brew an aging potion." That was true, he wasn't the one who brewed it. Whether Snape believed him or not was irrelevant as he could not prove that Draco did it.

Giving Draco a calculating look, he walked away.

Theo, Viktor, Serge and Johanna joined Draco at his table, where he was now pretty much alone.

"There you are," said Theo, "you suddenly disappeared on us. Missed the most amazing thing. The twins tried to trick the goblet of fire. Got catapulted back out of the age line and grew immense beards... But you were probably entertained enough as well..."

"Are things alvays this chaotic here?" asked Krum, motioning his head towards the door, through which the last effected student had just left.

"Pretty much," laughed Draco.

"Wait- It was you, wasn't it?" asked Theo, eyeing the food at their table.

"It's fine, you can eat it. Dumbledore had a talk with the elves," Draco said, choosing not to answer his question.

Theo shook his head and grabbed a baguette. "What are your plans for today?"

"Uhm- I thought I'd hang around the Entrance Hall, see who all puts their name in."

"The whole day? Sounds pretty boring."

Draco shrugged his shoulders.

When everyone had eaten and left the Great Hall, Draco got out his books on Herbology and Occlumency. He was soon joined by Neville.

"I can't believe your stupid plan actually worked," Neville shook his head.

"Whose plan are you calling stupid?" asked Draco, mock-hurt.

Neville rolled his eyes. "Any more strokes of genius?" he asked. "Cedric will be back sooner or later."

Draco thought for a while. "No, not really." Draco frowned. He doubted that they would succeed in keeping him from the cup a third time.

Neville looked at Draco for a long time before he talked again. "I have given this some thought and... seeing how important this is, I think I want to take a sip of my Felix Felicis."

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. "What?" he finally managed to ask.

"Only a sip. A drop. Not all of it. Not even half of it. But we're trying to save a life here. This is important."

Draco could see how serious Neville was. "Fine. If that's what you want to do." He would have preferred to keep the potion for more important things, but then again, it wasn't his potion.

"It is," said Neville, sounding determined. He pulled the tiny vial out of his pocket. "Alright, here goes nothing," he said and let a drop of what looked like molten gold fall onto his tongue.

"Okay," Neville said, jumping up, knocking Draco's books of the table, "let's-" but he stopped mid-sentence when his eyes fell onto the books.

"That... was surprisingly clumsy for someone who should be as lucky as a leprechaun. Maybe the potion has gone bad. Who knows how long Slughorn has sat on it..." Draco said but trailed off, "Are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry Draco," Neville said, grabbing his books from the ground, "got to go."

"What- Wait! What?" Draco stammered, but Neville had already scurried away. "Great," Draco huffed. So it was up to him to save the day. Again.

TBC


	51. Chapter 51

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

 _"What- Wait! What?" Draco stammered, but Neville had already scurried away. "Great," Draco huffed. So it was up to him to save the day. Again._

He made his way into the Entrance Hall and sat down in a corner, waiting for the time to pass and for an idea to come to him with very little success.

It was quite boring.

Around lunchtime, he quickly ate something and hurried back into the Entrance Hall. But he needn't have worried, half of the students were still with Madam Pomfrey. The potion to deage the students was not too difficult to brew, but the school's matron probably didn't have high enough quantities at her disposal and had to have Snape brew more.

"Draco, Draco, Draco," said the Weasley twins in unison, arriving in the Entrance Hall early in the afternoon.

"You sly little... Slytherin," said one of them.

"Hey guys. Back from the Infirmary?" he asked, grinning. He had heard about their failed attempt of putting their names into the goblet.

"Yes," answered the other. He really needed to learn to keep them apart. "And what must we hear? Half of the school turned thirty overnight."

"Wow, really? That's tough," said Draco, grinning, "sounds like an aging potion."

"Hmm, that's what we thought, too," said one of them, scratching his chin.

"And the only question left is... How could you do this without us?"

"Seriously, mate. Such a brilliant plan and you don't tell us about it? That hurts," continued the other, putting his hands on his chest and shaking his head. "What did we ever do to you to deserve this?"

Draco could think of several pranks they had pulled on him during their shared time at Hogwarts to deserve this. "You seemed to be otherwise preoccupied," he laughed.

"Yeah, but still. I wish I could have seen Snape's face," one of them lamented.

"Ah, I'm sure one day you'll manage to prank him, too," said Draco, amused.

"You can bet on that," they said in unison and went into the Great Hall to eat lunch.

While waiting for Cedric, Draco got to talk to several people passing the Entrance Hall to get into the Great Hall. Theo, Luna and the Durmstrang students, just to name a few. He talked to all of them.

As the afternoon progressed, Draco grew restless. He still had no idea what to do about Cedric. If he wanted to save his life, he had to stop him from entering his name. Because if he entered his name, he would be chosen again. And then he would die again and everything would repeat itself. And if he knew about a person's impending death and didn't do anything about it - wasn't it like killing that person himself? Wasn't knowing about a murder and being able to stop it but failing to do so just as bad as committing the murder?

Draco wished he could talk to someone about all of this. But Neville had abandoned him and it was too late to involve Dumbledore now.

When Cedric entered the room, accompanied by his friends, everything happened way too fast for Draco's liking.

„Oi, hey Cedric," greeted Draco.

„Malfoy," nodded Cedric. He didn't seem too happy. Probably a side effect of spending two consecutive days in the Hospital Wing.

„What are you doing?"

„Finally putting my name in the goblet," he grumbled. He made a step towards the goblet but Draco stood in his way.

„Uhm- are you sure that's a good idea? I've heard the Triwizard Tournement is really dangerous."

„It is nice of you to worry about me, but I will be fine. Now, step aside."

„I don't think you should do this. I mean, if you haven't managed to put it in yesterday or today, then maybe the universe is trying to tell you something... I mean, ending up in the Infirmary twice seems like more than just a conincidence," stammered Draco, improvising.

Cedric looked irritated and then confused. „How- How do you know about all of that? Are you stalking me? Or- wait! Was it you?" Cedric looked livid. „You were at breakfast, too. You and Longbottom. But I don't recall seeing either of you at Madam Pomfrey's..."

Draco panicked and jumped forward, trying to tackle Cedric. Best case scenario, they would both end up in detention and Cedric wouldn't be able to put his name in.

„Hey!" yelled one of Cedric's friends, grabbing Draco. Draco struggled, but now three older and taller Hufflepuffs were holding him down.

A group of students were now standing around them, watching the commotion.

„Hurry," said one of the Hufflepuffs to Cedric.

Cedric glared at Draco, grabbed a piece of parchment and a pen, wrote his name and the name of his school on the parchment and stepped towards the cup.

He looked at Draco while he dropped the piece of parchment. It sailed towards the cup, twisting and turning on its way towards its destination.

„No," Draco gasped as he watched it fall. There was nothing he could do now. He had failed.

But then, he heard a voice whisper "Incendio." The piece of parchment burned right before it landed in the cup.

Draco stared at it with an open mouth but nobody else seemed to have noticed it as he was the only one watching the cup.

Cedric smiled. „Leave him be," he told his friends, who let go of Draco.

„I don't know what's wrong with you, creep," whispered one of them towards Draco, „but keep away from us."

Draco nodded, making his way towards the source of the voice that had destroyed the piece of parchment before it landed in the cup.

„A-Astoria?" he whispered.

„You're welcome," she said with a small smile.

„How- what-" Draco stuttered, flabbergasted.

„On the way down here, I had just visited Daphne in the Infirmary, I met Neville and he told me you were trying to stop Cedric from entering his name and that you could use some help. I assumed you had a good reason for that."

Draco looked at her and blinked a few times. „Thanks. I like your act first and ask questions later attitude." He smiled at her warmly.

She smiled back, making Draco feel warm and fuzzy inside. Looking him straight in the eyes, she said, „I trust you, Draco. You are a good guy. If you think this is important I assume you have good reasons to do so, even if you don't want to share them."

Draco's heart fluttered. „Thanks."

„You're welcome. Now, I think you should go and find Neville. He seemed really excited about something and told me to tell you to meet him by the lake once you're done."

Draco would have rather stayed with Astoria, but he nodded and left the Entrance Hall.

All the way to the lake, thoughts of Astoria filled his mind. Draco felt absolutely delighted. Cedric was save, even though suspicious of him, and Astoria had said she trusted him.

The excited face of Neville interrupted his musing.

„I think I found it," he explained happily.

„Found what?" asked Draco, examining Neville. Neville looked about to burst from excitement. "I stopped Cedric, by the way. Or rather, Astoria did-"

„I found a way to heal my parents!" Neville interrupted Draco. "I looked at the books you gave me and at Snape's potion and the books he gave you... and you know, the Felix..."

"Wow, Neville. That's great. No, scratch that - that's absolutely fantastic!"

Neville beamed. „I think a few alterations to Snape's potion could heal the physical damage done to my parents and a spell cast by a skilled mind healer or Legilimens should take care of the damage done to their minds!"

„Wow, Neville. This is awesome," Draco was stunned. „How did you figure it out?"

„Remember how I knocked over one of your Occlumency books? When I picked it up I saw just the chapter I needed. And then... I don't know, things just fell into place."

„Pretty big coincidence with the book and all."

„Not a coincidence. Luck," Neville beamed.

„Can we brew the potion on our own?" Draco asked.

Neville's face fell. „Not really. I have a basic idea but I'm not good enough at Potions or Arithmancy to brew it. And we'll need help with the mind healing part and the spell as well. The spell also needs to be adapted to their special circumstances..."

„Oh, I know just the person to help us with that," Draco grinned. He felt really optimistic now.

„Oh," Neville groaned, „please don't say it."

„Snape," Draco chuckled.

„Should I drink more Felix for that?"

„No," Draco laughed. „Let's try on our own first. If he doesn't agree we can still try the Felix, but I think it's really better if we save it for when we actually try to heal them."

Neville nodded.

Draco started to walk back to the castle.

„Where are you going?"

„There's no time like the present. And maybe the Felixis is still working in our favor. Are you coming?"

Neville looked shocked, but followed Draco.

oooOOOooo

He knocked three times on Snape's office door. „Godfather? May I come in?"

„Of course, Draco," he could hear from the other side of the door. „Come in."

Neville looked at Draco apprehensively and Draco smiled at him reassuringly.

Draco opened the door and stepped into the Potions Master's office.

Snape was sitting at his desk, looking exhausted but quite a few years younger again. When he saw who was accompanying Draco, he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

„Mr. Longbottom," he greeted with a nod of his head. „Why am I not surprised to see the two of you? Lately, whenever something out of the ordinary happens, it has something to do with you, Draco." Draco wondered whether he was still mad about the aging potion or whether he had really believed him when he had said that it hadn't been him.

Draco walked over to the desk and sat down in one of the chairs. Neville hesitantly followed his example.

„I've noticed that as well," Draco sighed. „But you said I shouldn't do dangerous things on my own and that I should come and talk to you if something was up... Well, something is up."

Snape leaned forward, studying Draco and Neville. „And what might this „something" be?"

Draco elbowed Neville.

„Uhm-ehm-" stammered Neville, „We have been working on a way to heal my parents."

At that, Snape's gaze softened. „Continue."

„Draco has been helping me in potions," Neville said, now encouraged, „and he told me about your Post-Cruciatus potion. I thought, if we made it more potent, using Hypericum and some other plants, and adapted it a little to their special condition, we might be able to undo most of the nerve damage. But I think the torture might also have had an effect on their minds." Neville pulled out his notes and Draco's book _Magicks of the Mind_. „I think a spell and some Legilimancy could help with that."

Neville took a deep breath and looked expectantly at Snape, who eyed the notes curiously. „May I?" he finally asked.

Neville nodded hastily and pushed the notes towards Snape. Snape studied them for a while, looking intrigued.

„Mr. Longbottom," he said after a while, looking up from the notes, „it seems I have underestimated you."

Neville grinned. „Thank you, sir. You think it might work?"

„I think it might. The potion will still need to be adapted and the correct measurements of the ingredients found. And the spell might need to be adapted..." Snape trailed off, deep in thought.

„Would you be willing to help us with that?" Draco asked.

Snape regarded them both.

„Only a true potions genius could solve such an enticing problem. One, which would surely deserve an Order of Merlin," Draco prompted.

Draco knew he was laying it on a bit thick, but Snape's distant look gave him the impression that if he hadn't already been intrigued, he definitely was now.

„I will think about it. May I keep the notes?" he finally said.

The boys both nodded and left the office. Outside of the office, Neville pulled Draco into a bone-crushing hug. „Thank you, Draco. None of this would have ever happened without you."

TBC

Finally, things are looking up for Draco.

It's January and I have several papers to write and exams to pass at my university, so not much time to write for fun. But I'll try.

As always, I'd love to hear what you think :)


	52. Chapter 52

So much to do, so little time to write and every time I do write it seems to be things that will only happen in like 10 chapters or so…

Thank you for all the reviews you have been writing. Each and every one of them makes me incredibly happy.

As always, read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

When they left Snape's office it was already dark and time for the feast. The candlelit Great Hall was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. The Hall was decorated the way it usually was for Halloween feasts.

„Do you think Harry will be chosen again?" asked Neville before they departed.

Oh yeah, the Triwizard Tournament. Draco had almost forgotten about it with all that had happened with Neville and the cure and talking to Snape in the past hour.

„I- I don't know. I mean, I just assumed that he would. But Snape is teaching DADA now instead of Moody. And since Moody - well, fake Moody - was the one who tricked the goblet into choosing Harry..." Draco shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't given this much thought as Harry survived the whole ordeal relatively unscathed, anyways - winning the whole thing, even. He had also just assumed that it wasn't something that he could change.

Neville looked worried, but didn't say anything.

Draco left Neville and sat down at his already packed table.

The feast seemed to drag on forever. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, no one seemed to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as they would have normally. Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, Draco simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions. He knew about Fleur and Viktor, but he wanted to know about the others, wanted to hear how much his presence had changed the past.

„Hope it's a Slytherin," said Theodore during the meal, and some of the others nodded their heads in agreement. The animatedly talked about the tournament, giddy with excitement and anticipation.

Daphne, sitting next to Draco, used the distraction of their friends to talk to Draco unnoticed.

"So," she whispered, pulling Draco out of his musing, "thanks for sending me to the Hospital Wing today, you annoying bugger."

Draco just chuckled.

"You could have at least visited me, you know," she scoffed.

"I'm sorry. I was busy."

"Busy ogling the pretty Hufflepuff seeker?" she smirked.

Draco nearly choked on his pumpkin juice. "It's-it's not like that!"

"Right," Daphne laughed. "I saw you watching him this morning and I heard rumors you've been stalking him."

Draco blushed. "Who told you that?"

"Quite a few people, actually. The Hufflepuffs are calling you a creepy stalker."

"Just perfect," Draco groaned. "I can't even explain it to you, but it really isn't like that. I'm not into guys."

Daphne smirked, "Good to know. Would have been a pity."

Before Draco could give this any more thought, he noticed how the noise in the Hall died and looked up to see Dumbledore on his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Mr. Bagman looked mildly interested and Mr. Crouch looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" — he indicated the door behind the staff table — "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting. . . . A few people kept checking their watches. . . .

The flames inside the goblet suddenly turned red. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it — the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

A storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Draco wasn't at all surprised, but slapped Viktor on the back and said "Congratulations." Viktor smiled at him and left the Slytherin table. He slouched up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"You don't look so happy, Serge," observed Pansy.

"I am, I am. It is just – it is alvays him. Alvays," he complained.

Johanna put her hand on his shoulder in a sympathizing gesture.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

Draco observed Fleur, who got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Pansy said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party.

"Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next . . .

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment. He read it, raised his eyebrows and glanced in Draco's direction.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cassius Warrington!"

"No!" yelled Ron Weasley loudly. The whole Hall was quiet. Draco gulped. It wasn't a Gryffindor, or a Ravenclaw, or even another Hufflepuff, but a Slytherin. A student from a House most people hated.

Cassius Warrington got up and, keeping his head high, he walked towards Dumbledore.

Slowly, the Slytherin table started to erupt in applause. Some of the other tables joined them hesitantly, but there were also many who shouted things like "NO!" or, "We can't have a Slytherin champion!" or who were demanding a retry.

Draco felt a bit unsure of himself. On the one hand, they had saved Cedric, on the other, he wasn't quite sure whether the school was ready for a Slytherin champion.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called loudly, and the tumult died down. Draco held his breath. Was this it or would the goblet again proclaim a fourth champion? Dumbledore, knowing about as much about the events as Draco, must have been rather curious, too. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real —"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, a slight frown being the only sign of displeasure on his features, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him. Draco groaned, shutting his eyes. Even taking fake Moody out of the equation hadn't been enough.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out —

"Harry Potter."

Again, there was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at Harry as he sat, frozen, in his seat.

Up at the top table, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly.

Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.

"Harry Potter!" he called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

Slowly, Potter made his way to the top table. Every eye was on him.

Dumbledore said something to Harry, who then walked to the side chamber as well. Harry wasn't smiling, neither was Dumbledore.

TBC

Uh, Harry is champion again. How did Barty - if it was Barty again - manage that? And together with a Slytherin? That can't be good for the inter-house rivalry. Let me know what you think.


	53. Chapter 53

Thank you all for your lovely reviews :) 4 more and it's 100 - I love you all so much

Right now I don't have much time to write. It's the last weeks of the semester and presentations, seminar papers and my diploma thesis are (and will be) keeping me busy. I will try to upload once a week, though.

Read, enjoy and review.

oooOOOooo

Dumbledore ended the feast and he and the other teachers followed Harry into the side chamber. Once the door closed behind Dumbledore, the Hall erupted into excited chatter.

„Very funny joke," said Johanna uncertainly. It was hard to hear her over all the noise.

"Unfortunately, that's not a joke," replied Draco.

"But- but-" Daphne stuttered, "that must be a mistake."

"There can only be three champions," agreed Theo. "That's why it's called TRI-wizard, right?"

"Oh, come on, guys. Don't tell me you are honestly surprised," said Draco. "That's just the kind of thing that would happen to Potter. When has anything major ever happened at this school that didn't somehow involve him?" The others stared at him, looking quite sullen. "He even made it onto the Quidditch team in his first year, and I am pretty sure there is a rule against that..."

Pansy huffed. "He just can't handle anyone but him being the focus of everyone's attention, that narcissistic, arrogant,..."

"Pansy!" shrieked Daphne, before she could end her sentence.

"What?" growled Pansy. "Bloody Gryffindor's cheated. You know that as well as everyone else in this castle."

"I doubt that," said Draco and got a few surprised looks. He shrugged. "I mean, think about it. Do you really believe he is smart enough to pull something like that off?"

"Draco's right," said Daphne, "Cheat? Maybe. Fool Dumbledore? Unlikely."

"But Hogvarts cannot have two champeeons!" complained Serge.

"Well, rules don't usually apply to Hogwarts," huffed Pansy.

"Oh man," sighed Theo, "does this mean this whole thing is going to turn into another Slytherin vs. Gryffindor circus?"

Daphne and Pansy frowned.

"A Slyther-what?" asked Johanna.

"You have been here for some time... Have you noticed how our school is divided into four houses, Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff?" explained Theo patiently and Serge and Johanna nodded their heads, "well, long story short: Slytherin and Gryffindor do not get along. Never have and probably never will."

"Yeah," agreed Daphne, "and one of the champions is a Gryffindor and one is a Slytherin."

"This sounds like trouble," Johanna said.

The four Slytherins looked at each other. "You have no idea."

oooOOOooo

The mood in the Slytherin common room was weird. One the one hand, everyone was excited about a Slytherin champion, on the other, everyone was pissed because of the fourth champion. Draco decided to head to bed early, not wanting to deal with the drama any more than he absolutely had to. The events of the day had given him a massive headache and lying on his bed he had a hard time believing that the whole aging potion incident, stopping Cedric from entering his name, Neville's epiphany, their talk with Snape and the choosing of the champions had all happened in one day.

The next morning he got up early and went to an still almost empty Great Hall. Even though there were hardly any people, students were already arguing and fighting. It wasn't even just between Slytherin and Gryffindor, the other houses were fighting as well, even amongst themselves. It seemed like the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws weren't quite sure whether they should side with the Gryffindors, who they usually got along well with, or whether they should be appalled by the obvious cheating that had taken place.

Draco ignored the comments thrown his way and ate his breakfast in a hurry, before he made his way to Dumbledore's office for his weekly Occlumency lesson.

"Mr. Malfoy," greeted Dumbledore, nodding his head towards the chair in front of him when Draco entered the room. The old man looked quite tired and Draco assumed that he had had a long night. "Before we begin, is there anything you would like to share with me?"

Draco sat down and blinked a few times. "Like what?" With everything going on it was hard to tell which specific event the headmaster was referring to. "About Diggory? It was Neville's idea to stop him."

Dumbledore nodded his head. "I assume it is only natural that you would want to change the course of events knowing how things would end for young Mr. Diggory. But actually, I was referring to the talk you had with your godfather."

"Oh - well, I thought he'd probably tell you about it. Apparently, I wasn't wrong in assuming."

Another nod of the head. "How did you solve it, if I may ask?"

"I didn't - Neville did. Used half of his Felix for it."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. If you want to know any details I would ask him or maybe Professor Snape. I assume they know more about it than I do."

"I shall do so." Dumbledore studied Draco for a while. "Is there anything else on your mind?"

Draco would not have said anything, but he had thought about the events from the night before, and since Dumbledore was asking... "Uhm, there is one thing I've been wondering about. Do you think Crouch is in the school again? How did he do it this time?"

Dumbledore's gaze wandered into the distance. "I am sorry to say that on this, my guess is as good as anyone's. He must have had access to the cup, but I trust all of our teachers are who they claim to be."

Draco nodded his head. None of the teachers were in any way acting unlike themselves. And he just could not imagine anyone posing as Snape or McGonagall. "What about Karkaroff? He used to be a Death Eater, right?"

"He wasn't involved in your original time, was he?" Dumbledore asked instead of answering.

"Uh... no. I think he got scared, fled and got killed by Death Eaters." At least, that was what his father had told him, but it aligned with the impression Draco had of the man.

"I think," said Dumbledore after a while, "that this aspect has not changed. In any case, Severus is keeping a close eye on him, so I doubt he would have been able to enter Harry's name."

They both stayed quiet for a while, both lost in their own thoughts.

"I fear we will have to postpone our lesson," Dumbledore eventually said.

"What? Why?"

Dumbledore did not say anything but motioned towards the door to his office, which a few seconds later flew open and a livid looking Sirius Black stormed in. He was followed by an uncertain Harry Potter and an impatient looking Severus Snape.

"I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't-" began Snape, only to be interrupted by Black.

"Shut it, Snivellus!" he growled at Snape and turned towards Dumbledore. "I hope this is a joke." He waved a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of Dumbledore. "Harry is still a child, he can't compete! I won't allow it." His gaze fell on Draco. "Hey Draco, good to see you." He smiled shortly, before his gaze fell back on Dumbledore.

Draco smiled uncertainly. Sirius was not looking at him anymore, but Severus and Harry were, both looking startled by his presence.

"Good morning, Sirius. Please, have a seat," greeted Dumbledore, unfazed by Sirius' outrage.

"I don't want to sit down! I want to know why my godson has to compete in a tournament that might kill him!"

"We do not know how this situation arose," Dumbledore explained patiently, "but it seems like we have no choice but to accept it. The goblet of fire constitutes a binding magical contract. There is nothing I can do."

"We do not know how this situation arose?! You got two bloody Death Eaters in the school and you're wondering how this happened?" Sirius snarled, glancing at Snape.

"Sirius!" shouted Draco, before Dumbledore or Snape could say anything.

"Oh stop defending him already! You know what he is as well as I do!" barked Sirius.

"You know nothing about him! And you don't care!" The topic always riled Draco up. He took a deep, calming breath. "But I don't think you really believe it was him, either."

Sirius glowered at Draco. He crossed his arms. "Well, I guess he would not really need the tournament to kill Harry. But I'll keep an eye on him, anyways."

"If you want to waste your time, be my guest," drawled Snape.

"Enough," said Dumbledore and everyone fell quiet. "Sirius, I trust Severus and so should you. I am sorry about the tournament, but there is nothing I can do about it." He turned towards Harry, "Harry, I am very sorry, but you have to compete."

"Why?" asked Sirius defiantly.

"As I have already said, it is a binding magical contract. And Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman have made a decision and it seems to be final."

Sirius kept on suggesting alternatives, but it was obvious to everyone but him that the situation was hopeless. Snape was the first to leave. Draco followed soon after. This really wasn't any business of his. He had just hoped he would be able to talk to Sirius for a while, but soon lost hope.

When he left, Harry followed him.

"Don't want to stick around?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Do you think Sirius will be able to do anything about the tournament?"

Draco shook his head. "He doesn't seem to know what "binding magical contract" means. In case you're wondering, it's binding."

Harry rolled his eyes and then sighed. "Sirius seems to think that Snape's a Death Eater..."

If Harry excepted an answer to the unspoken question in the air, he'd have to wait a long time, because Draco wasn't planning on giving him one. "Isn't that what everyone's thinking?" He asked instead with a shrug of his shoulder.

Harry furrowed his brows. "Who's the second Death Eater he was talking about?"

"You're awfully nosey. He was referring to Karkaroff. He's one of the few confirmed ones that aren't in Azkaban."

Harry stopped walking. "And Dumbledore let's him into the school?"

"I don't think he's happy about it, but there's not much he can do about it with the tournament and everything. But it wasn't him. He ratted out a lot of his friends to stay out of Azkaban. He's probably the last person who wants Him back."

Harry walked alongside Draco again, not saying anything for a while. "How do you know all of this?"

Draco just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't feel like talking about his past or his family.

But Harry still had questions. "What were you doing in Dumbledore's office?"

"That's none of your business," snapped Draco.

Harry looked at Draco intently, not the least put off by his harsh tone.

"Occlumency," Draco finally said.

"What? You're getting Occlumency lessons, too?" Harry gasped. "Why?"

"You asking an awful lot of questions, Potter. Dumbledore thinks if You-Know-Who returns he might be interested in yours truly."

Harry nodded in understanding. Not that he understood anything, Draco thought. Harry probably thought he had meant his family, not a godlike foresight and power to change the course of history.

In an uncharacteristic bounce of friendliness, bordering on Hufflepuff like behavior, Draco asked him how his lessons were going. The Gryffindor's face fell immediately.

"It's torture." When Draco started to laugh, Harry continued, "No, really! And he's enjoying every second of my suffering!"

"I sincerely doubt that he likes this any more than you do," Draco said, still chuckling.

"I bet your lessons are more fun."

Snippets of Draco's worst memories flashed before his eyes. Loss. Torture. Death. Dumbledore would force Draco to confront these moments again and again and again. The meetings usually left Draco feeling raw, like his very soul was exposed and bleeding.

"They're probably different to yours," Draco finally said.

"I wish Dumbledore was my teacher," Harry sighed, oblivious to Draco's change in mood.

"That wouldn't work at all. You would happily share all your deepest, darkest, innermost secrets with Dumbledore. But with Snape you have a real reason to protect your mind. Dumbledore has your best interest in mind, and so does Snape, even if you can't see it."

With that, their ways parted and Draco went back to bed. He had had enough of tiring human contact for one day.

TBC

A little longer than usual. Have a great Sunday and let me know what you think :)


	54. Chapter 54

I think there was an error in the system and no email alerts were sent for chapter 53. So if you missed it, you might want to check on the previous chapter first.

Big thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing. Every view, review, favorite and follow makes me incredibly happy.

As always, read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

October had given way to November and the weather was growing colder and it rained a lot. More and more articles of Harry Potter and the triwizard tournament filled the Daily Prophet, but even that could not completely distract from the growing number of articles on attacks on muggles and muggleborns. With no word did the articles mention any reactivation of the Death Eaters, but rumors were flying. All of this, naturally, did nothing to ease the tensions in the school. Quite the opposite, actually. Everyone seemed to be on edge, especially the Slytherins. No one said anything and there were no obvious fights among them. The signs were quite subtle, but there was a growing rift between those who supported the Death Eaters wholeheartedly and those who did not.

Never before had a lack of unity within Slytherin been a problem, so Draco assumed the change, be it good or bad, had been somehow caused by him. Originally in his fourth year, he could not have named one Slytherin who was against the Dark Lord. Apparently, this had nothing to do with a lack of rebellious Slytherins but rather a lack of overtly showing such rebellious behavior in the house of the cunning.

Staying on the good side of all Slytherins got harder every day. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be struggling with not wanting to be alone and wanting to spend time with Draco, and there growing dislike for the people he surrounded himself with. When Draco spent time with them, and he really tried to do so, it was always just the three of them. Draco had never openly said anything against the Death Eaters, but it seemed to be clear to the more observant of the snakes that his heart had changed on these matters.

Draco's friendship with Neville did not seem to be a secret anymore, which lead to some curious consequences. One of those consequences, and perhaps the most curious, was that Harry Potter, who apparently had had a falling out with his best friend Ron and was shunned by half of the school since the first article appeared in the Daily Prophet, and Hermione Granger had, hesitantly and obviously prompted by Neville, joined Draco's group of friends. His group now most of the times consisted of four Slytherins, one Ravenclaw, three Gryffindors and three Durmstrang students.

Since their group had become bigger and infinitely noisier, which Draco blamed solely on the two newcomers, they had moved their meetings from the library to the Room of Requirement. Their main topic of discussion was usually the Triwizard Tournament and they often helped Harry and Viktor practice for it.

Daphne, Pansy and Theo seemed to have no problems with Harry. Theo was a little cross because of the second champion thing, but having been saved by Harry and Sirius at the Quidditch World Cup, he was able to look past it. But still, Pansy and Theo were unwilling to help Harry with the tournament. House-solidarity, they had said. But they still spent time with them.

Draco also met with Neville and Snape once a week to work on the potion and the spell to heal the Longbottoms. Admittedly, Snape could have probably done all of this on his own and he would have probably been faster, too. Still, they met once a week, shared their findings and Snape taught them about spell and potion creation, which was a highly complex topic and Draco and Neville would have struggled with it, had Draco not been a grown up and invested in finding a cure for his wife, and had Neville not been as highly motivated as he was. Draco was not sure whether it was Snape or Dumbledore who had come up with the plan of involving them, but it seemed like Snape enjoyed himself. The cure engaged his mind in a way that his work at school hardly ever did and when he talked it was obvious that he was talking about something he was passionate about, which made the lessons rather pleasant. They were making good headway, too, having the basic idea figured out and just having to work on the implementation.

Although happy, Snape also looked somewhat tired, and Draco sometimes wondered if Dumbledore wasn't asking too much of his godfather. Teaching a new subject, teaching Occlumency, working on the cure and being a spy - it must be hard to cover everything.

The 21st of November was a Saturday three days before the first task. It was also a Hogsmeade weekend.

The Three Broomsticks was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon. Among them were Draco and his friends, which, Draco figured, now included Potter and Granger. Hagrid soon joined them at their table, engaging them in some small talk.

Although he tried to be subtle, Draco noticed how Hagrid leaned in to Harry and whispered, "Harry, meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear that cloak."

So it wasn't all that surprising, when Harry walked into the Room of Requirement the next day and announced desperately, "It's dragons. I am a goner."

"What?" asked Daphne, Astoria and Theo in unison. Krum probably already knew from Karkaroff and he had probably told the other two Durmstrang students. And Neville and Hermione Harry had probably already told in their common room.

"The first tasks are dragons. I am so dead," he sighed, sinking down on a sofa that the room had provided them with.

"I checked all the books on dragons in the library..." said Hermione. "Talon-clipping by charms… treating scale-rot… Nothing useful, unless you're like Hagrid and want to keep them healthy… Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can penetrate… "

"You are thinking to complicated. The tasks vere made for students," offered Krum, blinking at Harry, then he, Serge and Johanna left. Apparently he was willing to help a friend, but not enough to outright tell him what to do. It was still a competition and Krum was intent on winning.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Neville asked.

"I think he is on to something," said Astoria, "they are testing students, not adults. So, there must be a solution a student can come up with."

"Hmm... so a simple spell will do?" asked Hermione, thinking.

Draco was curious whether they would come up with the solution themselves. Similar to Theo and Pansy he was holding back when it came to helping Harry with the tournament. His reasons, however, were quite different and had little to do with house-solidarity. He just thought it was unfair as he already knew the tasks and the proper solutions. And since Harry survived all of them and won the tournament, he didn't see much need to help him.

"Is there anything you are really good at? Like, beyond normal good?" Astoria asked Harry.

"Uhm- no?"

"Oh, come on!" huffed Pansy, "Mr. Beating-the-Dark-Lord-once-a-year is telling us that he doesn't have any strengths?"

"Those times I was lucky!" hissed Harry. He thought about it some more. "Quidditch - and a fat lot of help-"

"That's it!" squealed Daphne excitedly. "Your a good flier!"

"Yeah," Harry stared at her, "but I'm not allowed a broom. I only got my wand."

"Oh, Harry," moaned Hermione, "the Summoning Charm we have been practicing! You could summon your broom and then out-fly the dragon."

"Yeah," Pansy laughed, "too bad you're rubbish at it."

"Well, we'll just have to change that, won't we?" Hermione answered defiantly.

And so they started practicing the Summoning Charm. They spent the rest of the day practicing, until Harry, and everyone else in the room, was able to summon even heavier objects across the room. The mood of everyone grew infinitely lighter, when Harry was able to summon even the heaviest of Hermione's books.

To practice more difficult summons and because they all needed a bit of fun, everyone sans Harry started a pillow fight and Harry had to summon the flying pillows out of the air.

Exhausted, sweaty, but laughing like maniacs, they finally decided that Harry was good enough to stand a chance against the dragon.

When they all went back to their dorms, Harry stopped Theo and Draco.

"Guys - you have to tell Warrington about the dragons."

"What?" Theo asked, surprised, "Why?"

"He's the only champion who doesn't know. Who has no chance to prepare."

"Yeah, but that's giving you a clear edge in the tournament," Theo said. "Why would you want to give that up?"

"Because it's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair," answered Draco.

"Please, just tell him. He won't listen to me. I tried talking to him today, but I am a Gryffindor and he is a Slytherin. He will believe it if you are the ones to tell him."

"Fine," Draco groaned. "But just for the record, I think you are a foolish Gryffindor with no sense of self-preservation."

"I second that," laughed Theo.

Harry smiled. "Thanks, guys. And thanks for helping me today."

"Slytherins and Gryffindors working together, an interhouse pillowfight, a Gryffindor helping a Slytherin,... what has the world come to?" Theo joked.

When the two snakes arrived in the common room late at night, Cassius was the only one still up, buried in books. Preparing for the tournament, no doubt.

Theo and Draco sat down next to him.

Cassius didn't look up from his books, but furrowed his brows. "What do you want?"

"It's dragons," Theo simply said. "The first task is dragons."

"What?" he said, looking up.

"They have four dragons, one for each of the champions. You will have to get past a dragon."

Draco saw fear flicker in the eyes of Cassius Warrington. "Are you sure?"

"Dead sure," Theo said.

"Why are you helping me? Aren't you usually running around with Krum and Potter?"

Theo and Draco looked at each other. "We are trying not to let the tournament dictate who we're friends with," Theo finally gave as an explanation. "We still want Slytherin to win, though... And it would be nice if no one died."

"Well, thanks guys. I guess I owe you, now."

"Don't worry about it," Draco said. "Good luck for Tuesday."

Cassius smiled at them, and Draco and Theo went to bed, both glad that it was not one of them who was chosen as champion.

TBC

Hmm, another chapter done :) what do you think of this one? I really should be doing other stuff, but well...

I know some other authors who end their chapters with story suggestions and I quite like the idea, so I will do this too. What do you think of that idea?

Here are my first two suggestions:

1\. Forever and a Day - By: Alomoria - Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco travel back into their third year. Not finished, but still gets updated. It has been kind of my inspiration for this story. I always liked time travel stories. I read a lot of Snape travels back stories, but this was the first I saw including Draco. I found the idea of Draco traveling back intriguing because he has an interesting history (so much character development) and doesn't know everything. And there are few time travel fanfiction about him. Most that I saw are Draco/Hermione or Draco/Harry, which focus mostly on romance, so I decided to write my own, unique story (I do love Snape traveling back in time but it has been done so often and so well that I didn't feel like I need to add more than a one shot to this collection.).

2\. Crossing Lines - By: plutoplex - The Weasley twins travel back into the Marauder's time. A well written, complete story. And I just love unique stories and as far as I know, there are very few Weasley-twins-time-travel-ffs. Perfect if you love time travel, the twins, Snape or the Marauders - or all of them.


	55. Chapter 55

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

It was the day of the first task and the air was full of nervous anticipation. Some students were fighting, some were throwing insults in the champions' ways, others wished them good luck. Potter seemed more nervous than ever.

Draco was one of those who wished everyone good luck. He did not really care who would win the tournament. He was friends with Krum now, and Cassius was a Slytherin, so he did not have one champion who he preferred over the others. Not that it really mattered. He was about 95% sure that Potter would win again. If not because he had won before, then at least because whoever had put his name in, had to make sure that he would grab the Portkey in the end.

"Good luck, Potter," Draco said, when he saw him in the Great Hall at lunch.

"Thanks," Harry said, smiling.

Draco was not sure when exactly things had started to change, but Potter's presence had stopped to annoy him. And Potter's opinion of Draco had seemingly changed as well. He did not look at Draco like he had grown a second head every time he did something which could be interpreted as being nice any longer. But Draco couldn't for the life of him figure out why Potter seemed to suddenly trust him. He even sometimes walked over to Draco just to talk to him. How weird was that? They weren't becoming friends, were they?

Draco, together with Astoria, Daphne, Theo and Neville, made his way to the arena that had been built specifically for the task.

He was pretty sure that saving Sirius was not what had changed the Boy Who Lived's mind. He had still accused him of being one of them at the World Cup...

Draco's musing was interrupted when Neville elbowed him, pointing at the crowd that had gathered on the stands. He noticed right away what Neville meant when he spotted Sirius. Sirius, accompanied by Lupin, was making his way through the crowd, probably looking for someone they knew. Too bad they were walking straight towards an unsuspecting Severus Snape.

Neville and Draco, sensing an ugly confrontation, hurried towards them.

"Hey there," greeted Draco happily, grabbing Sirius' arm. "Why don't you two watch with us? We'll be standing over there."

Together with Neville he pulled them in the opposite direction of where he knew Snape was standing.

Sirius seemed to be quite happy to see all of them, giving each of them a hug. Sirius was quite fond of all of them. He had spent a couple of days with Theo in Grimmauld Place after the Quidditch World Cup and they had become quite close, which Draco assumed was due to their similar pasts. Astoria, Daphne and Neville had helped Sirius during his time on the run, which had all guaranteed them a special place in Sirius' heart.

Draco watched Sirius whisper something into Astoria's ear, to which her eyes started to gleam and she started to grin. He was not sure what they were talking about, but he was happy to see them getting along and he loved to see Astoria smile. His heart always seemed to skip a beat when he saw her happy and he could not help but smile as well.

Sirius then told all of them how he was seeing a mind healer. If that mind healer declared him healthy, he would try to become the legal guardian for Potter as well as for Theo. Theo was ecstatic upon hearing this.

The older Nott's trial would start soon, and if he was found guilty, which he undoubtedly would be, Theo would officially need a guardian.

Once that would be done, Sirius would try to be accepted as an Auror again.

Shortly before the first champion came out of the tent, Hermione Granger joined their little group.

"Good afternoon, Hermione. Where is Ronald?" asked Lupin.

"He's watching with Dean and his brothers. He can be such a prick sometimes," Hermione sighed.

"Is he still mad at Potter or is it us?" asked Daphne.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "A bit of both, maybe? I hope he'll come around once he sees how dangerous the tasks are."

Then Crouch shortly explained the rules, a dragon was brought in the arena, a whistle blew and the first task began.

The first champion was Cassius Warrington. He had to steal a golden egg which was guarded by a dragon with silvery blue scales - a Swedish Short-Snout.

If Cassius was scared, he didn't show it. He immediately waved his wand in the air, but nothing seemed to happen.

"What'd he do?" asked Neville.

"A privacy charm," explained Draco quietly, hoping that only Neville would hear his explanation.

"Not one I have ever seen before," commented Sirius loudly, which made Draco jump.

Cassius now cast a "Fumos" and smoke shot out of his wand towards the dragon.

"Well, I don't doubt that." Draco hesitated for a second. "Snape invented it himself."

"Cheater," breathed Sirius.

"Oh, come on," complained Draco. "Harry cheated as well. He snuck out of the castle at midnight to find out what the first task is."

That shut Sirius up.

"Snape can invent spells? I didn't know you could just do that," said Hermione.

"And potions," added Neville, absentmindedly. "Wow, look at that. Now the dragon can't see or hear him!"

"The potions he taught us were all improved by him, you know," said Draco, also only half paying attention to Hermione, preferring to keep his eyes on the dragon. "Or did you never wonder why he never used the textbooks but wrote all instructions on the board?"

"What's wrong with the textbook potions?" Although Draco wasn't looking at her, he knew she had her arms crossed and a defiant look on her face.

"They're rubbish, that's what's wrong with them," complained Theo. "I haven't had a single potion turn out the way I wanted it to this year and I followed the instructions to a t."

Cassius now got the golden egg with the dragon still unable to get out of the cloud which surrounded it.

"That was brilliant," cheered Astoria and the stands also erupted in applause.

"Not bad," agreed Sirius, begrudgingly.

Next up was Fleur Delacour, who faced a Common Welsh Green. Just like the first time, she enchanted the dragon to sleep. And again, the dragon let out a jet of flame while snoring, setting her skirt on fire. But she extinguished it and retrieved her egg.

Viktor Krum was third, facing a Chinese Fireball. He used the Conjunctivitis Curse to blind the dragon and retrieve his egg. However, he got docked points when the dragon stumbled around and smashed half of the real eggs.

Harry Potter was last, facing the Hungarian Horntail. Draco watched him summon his Firebolt. The audience went wild. _Showoff_ , Draco thought, amused. Admittedly, his performance was a lot more spectacular than those of the other champions. How he dived down, again and again, narrowly escaping being grilled by the Hungarian Horntail. Circling the dragon. Nearly getting thrown off his broom when he almost got hit by the dragon's tail. How the dragon made to fly and Potter stole his golden egg. Then he flew above the heads of the audience, holding the egg above his head like a trophy. _Showoff_ , Draco thought again, joining the crowd in their thunderous applause.

In the end, most of the students had cheered for all four champions. Theoretically wanting someone to die and actually wanting them to die in a real life-and-death situation, Draco knew very well, were to completely different things, after all. He had told Potter that he hoped he would die in the tournament originally, he had really believed that he wanted Dumbledore and blood traitors and muggleborns dead - until he had experienced death and torture first hand, until death and suffering weren't arbitrary any longer but became something real, palpable.

Which was why Draco wasn't surprised when Ron Weasley suddenly stood next to them, asking Sirius, Remus and Hermione whether he could join them in visiting Harry.

All three of them were of course very happy to have him back as a friend and Draco was quite sure that Potter would be as well.

The points, in the end, were no big surprise. Potter tied with Warrington for first place. Krum was a close second. Fleur came in last, but was only a few points behind the others.

After that, Draco celebrated Warrington's success with the other Slytherins in their common room. It seemed like, for one night at least, all the animosity in their house was forgotten.

TBC

My story suggestions of the day:

1\. Calibration by The Devine Comedian – A one shot in which Remus prepares a boggart for his DADA lesson. Well written and incredibly funny.

2\. Ananke by Eunike – Lily travels to the future and then the past - very well written (Snily) and complete.

I am a little scared of the next few chapters, as the Yule Ball is coming up and that will mean a lot of drama and romance. But it's snowing heavily right now, so at least I will have time to write as I most certainly won't leave the house.


	56. Chapter 56

Wow, 101 reviews! Thank you all so much!

Special thanks to JayBat, Arwengeld, Johan Kira Expelliarmus, Ms Kurumi, Angelusica, Son of Whitebeard, Aiyanna Clearwater, Grin like the Cheshire Cat, SkyeMoor and acciovader, who have all reviewed several times.

This is a long one, as a thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

oooOOOooo

Draco's life had been quiet after the first task, which was rather unusual. But he welcomed the peace, as he knew it would not last long. Somehow, it never did.

It was sometime early in December, when, after the first lesson of the day, he noticed a change in the atmosphere at the school. A kind of nervous excitement filled the halls. He couldn't quite put his finger on what had given him that impression, but he knew it was there. Maybe it was the girls, who seemed to be giggling more than usual, or the boys, who were looking rather somber, or the teachers, who all looked either amused or uncomfortable.

Draco only realized the reason for all of this in his second lesson of the day: Defense.

He sat down between Theo and Daphne, like he usually did. But then Pansy came along and shoved Daphne aside, forcing her to scoot down one chair, looking indignant. Pansy either did not notice or she did not care, as she asked, "This seat still free?". Without waiting for an answer she sat down next to Draco.

Draco didn't much mind Pansy, but she seemed awfully chatty that morning, which made Snape glare at them all through the lesson. Pansy babbled on about one thing or the other while Snape explained the topic of the day - hex-deflection - and continued to do so during the more practical part of the lesson, where she made sure that they were partnered up.

When Snape finally dismissed the Gryffindors - and only the Gryffindors - Draco finally realized what was going on.

"Attention," Snape snapped, stopping Pansy mid-sentence, "I have an announcement to make."

With a sinking feeling Draco remembered what was about to happen. Out of all the things to forget...

"The Yule Ball is approaching," Snape continued, seemingly uncomfortable with the topic of discussion. "A traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for you to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish to do so."

Some of the girls began to giggle, earning them a glare from Snape.

"Dress robes will be worn," he continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then —" Professor Snape stared deliberately around the class. "The Yule Ball is of course a chance for you all to — er — enjoy yourselves," he said, in a disapproving voice. "But that does NOT mean," Professor Snape went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Slytherin student embarrasses the school in any way." With that he dismissed his Slytherins.

oooOOOooo

Once he had left the classroom, panic overcame Draco. He would need a date for the ball. But he did not want to go with anyone but Astoria. But was Astoria even interested in him yet? She was still so young. And he was a grown up. Should he ask her? What if she said no? What if she said yes? What if he didn't ask her and someone else did? He wasn't sure whether he could stomach seeing her with someone else.

oooOOOooo

These thoughts followed him the rest of the week and the next, not unlike Pansy, who sat across from him during dinner the next Friday.

"Draco?"

"Yeah?" he asked absentmindedly and barely looking at her, his thoughts still centered around Astoria and the Yule Ball.

"Are you thinking about the Yule Ball?"

Draco blinked in surprise. "Yes."

Pansy grinned. "So, you're going?"

"I guess so," he shrugged. Even if he ended up without a date, the Yule Ball was a good reason not to go home over winter break. He was not sure whether his father had calmed down by now or not, but reading the Daily Prophet, a clear indicator of the increasing Death Eater activities, he knew that it was unlikely that they would survive the holidays without a major fight.

"Any ideas who you want to go with?" Pansy inquired.

"I have someone in mind," Draco said, looking over to the Ravenclaw table, where Astoria was talking with her sister.

Pansy followed his gaze, looking crestfallen. She inhaled sharply, fighting tears. "You are such an ass, Draco Malfoy," she hissed, throwing her pumpkin juice in his face and storming off.

And finally, Draco got why she had been acting so weird. She wanted him to ask her out. He was such an idiot. He should have realized sooner, but his mind had been occupied with other things. Pansy's assumption that he would ask her out had not been completely unfounded. He had, after all, asked her out the first time around and they had been kind of dating during their time in school. Not that Draco had been deeply in love with her. He was ashamed to admit it, but she had just been an safe and easy choice. He didn't have to make an effort to be with her. He didn't have to wonder whether she liked him or not or whether he said or did the right thing or not. He never had to fear rejection with her. In her eyes he could do no wrong. She adored the ground he was walking on, although he never knew whether it was because of his name and his family money or whether she really liked him. And even if she had rejected him, it would not have been as devastating as being rejected by someone he really cared about.

He was an idiot. Had been back then and, apparently, still was now.

Now everyone was staring at him and a few were laughing. Naturally.

He grabbed a napkin, cleaned his face in one swift motion, threw it back on the table and made to flee the Great Hall as well.

Unfortunately, he did not get very far.

"Draco, Draco, Draco," he heard one of the Weasley twins chuckle.

They were standing before the door, blocking Draco's only hope of escape.

"No luck with the ladies?"

"I'm sorry, guys. I'm really not in the mood for this right now."

"Ah, not another word," one of them said, holding his hand to his forehead. "Your little friend has rejected you?"

Draco blushed. "Not quite."

The twins looked at each other, wide eyed. "You have rejected her?" they asked in unison.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Draco huffed.

"Why so cranky, little heart breaker? We only came here to offer you our guidance and advice. And to tell you that if you don't hurry, all the good ones will be gone."

"Advice?" Draco snorted. "As if you two have so much more experience than I do."

"You doubt us?" one of them said, mock-hurt.

"Do you have a date?"

"I'm going with Angelina," said one of them promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.

"What?" said Draco, taken aback. "You've already asked her?"

"Good point," said the twin. He turned his head and called across the Hall, "Oi! Angelina!"

Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spinnet, looked over at him.

"What?" she called back.

"Want to come to the ball with me?"

Angelina gave him an appraising sort of look.

"All right, then," she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face.

"There you go," he said, satisfied, "piece of cake."

Draco stared at him with an open mouth, panic raising within him. Maybe they were right and he really needed to hurry up or he would end up alone. But he couldn't just call across the Hall like a Weasley. He was not a Gryffindor, after all.

"If you have someone you want to go with, just ask her. Worst case scenario, she says no and you don't go to the ball with her. But if you don't ask her, you won't go with her either, so you really only can win."

With that last piece of surprisingly sound advice, they left Draco to his own devices.

oooOOOooo

Draco spent the rest of the evening in the library. He really did not want to talk to anyone.

When he finally made an appearance in the common room, he had been bracing himself for an emotionally taxing encounter with Pansy, but nothing could have prepared him for what was actually awaiting him in the common room.

"STUPID BINT!" he heard someone shriek before he even sat foot in the common room.

There was screaming and yelling and once he got a closer look at the commotion, he saw that most students had gathered in the middle of the room, forming a circle, whooping and cheering.

 _A fight_ , Draco thought. And one apparently fought the muggle way with hands and feet. Maybe he should get Snape to end the fight? The prefects definitely did not look like they wanted to break up the fight. Or maybe they were just too cowardly to get in the middle of things.

He saw Crabbe and Goyle standing amongst the onlookers.

"Guys! What's going on here?"

"A fight," Goyle said, clearly amused.

"Obviously," Draco drawled, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "About what?"

"You," Crabbe laughed. "And they call me stupid."

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He pushed through the crowd to see who the two fighters were.

"Shit," he mumbled, when his eyes fell on Pansy and Daphne, rolling on the floor. Pansy had a tight grip on Daphne's hair and Daphne was yelling obscenities.

"What the hell?" he yelled, getting Daphne's attention.

"Draco," she squeaked, "help me!"

Draco, unsure of what to do, made a step back, but the crowd pushed him back into their middle.

"You man-stealing little-" Pansy shrieked, but was interrupted by a deep voice that had all the onlookers scurry away.

"What is the meaning of this?" he voice barked and Draco flinched. Snape had apparently caught wind of the commotion and came to investigate.

Pansy let go of Daphne's hair and Daphne crawled away from her, putting a save distance between them before she stood up.

Snape scrutinized all three of them. "My office. Now."

"But I didn't do anything!" Draco complained.

"That," Snape glared at him disapprovingly, "remains to be seen."

Draco groaned. Now he did not feel bad for upsetting Pansy earlier anymore. His guilt had made room for annoyance.

"Draco has been leading me on, sir," Pansy started once they were all seated in his office. "All the while going after Daphne," at the mention of her name she sneered.

"I did no such thing!" Draco defended himself. The allegation alone was outrageous. "And I don't want to go to the Ball with Daphne..."

Pansy squeaked.

"Nor with you, you annoying t-"

"Mr. Malfoy!" Snape interrupted him before he could say anything he would most likely regret.

"I'm sorry," Draco sighed. "But I am not interested in going to the Ball with either of you." He did not look at them, did not want to see the hurt in their faces.

"Professor," Daphne said, "I was just reading a book in the common room when Pansy suddenly attacked me! Draco wasn't even there."

Snape nodded. "This," he finally sighed, "I would have expected from the other houses. But Slytherin? Mr. Malfoy, you may leave."

Draco did not need to be told twice, leaving the office as fast as he could.

oooOOOooo

Back in the common room he tried to avoid the gazes of his house mates, but could hear them snicker everywhere he went.

"Tough day?" Theo asked him, trying and failing miserably at hiding his amusement.

Draco frowned. "One little ball and everyone's going crazy!"

Now Theo laughed openly.

"Oh, shut it," Draco growled, but did not really mean it. He could really need a friend right now. "Who're you going with?"

Theo stopped laughing. "I- uhm- I don't know. I thought maybe I should ask Astoria, since she's too young to go any other way..."

Draco coughed.

"Or maybe I'll ask Johanna. She's kind of cute," Theo continued.

"Uhm- you should totally ask Johanna. I think she has a thing for you."

"Really? You think?" Theo asked excitedly.

Draco had absolutely no idea, but bobbed his head anyways. Anything was better than having Theo go with Astoria.

"Wow, okay," Theo said. "But what if she thinks I'm too young for her?"

"Hasn't stopped Krum from asking Granger," Draco answered.

"Okay, then I'll ask her."

Draco let out a sigh of relief.

When Pansy, who looked like she had been crying, and Daphne returned, Draco asked the former whether he could talk to her.

"I just wanted to say that I am sor-"

"You don't have to apologize," Pansy interrupted Draco's apology. "I'm the one who's been acting like an idiot - unworthy of Slytherin, really - and I'm sorry for that."

"So, everything's alright between us?" Draco asked hesitantly.

Pansy smiled sweetly. "Everything's alright."

oooOOOooo

The next day was hardly any less eventful.

Right after breakfast, Daphne wanted to have a word with him.

"I'm sorry," Draco said before Daphne could get a word out. He did not feel like he had anything to be sorry for, but still. With women, one never knew.

"Oh, you have nothing to be sorry for," Daphne said, "it's not your fault Pansy's gone barmy."

Draco chuckled. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Daphne stared into the distance for a while. "Are you sure there is nothing between us?" she asked after a while.

"Uhm - no," Draco said, caught a little off guard.

"Because we have spent a lot of time together lately. That's why Pansy thinks you have a crush on me."

"No. I like you, but just as a friend."

Daphne nodded her head. "Me too. Not that I'd mind if you did like me, but there are plenty of good looking fish in the sea," she said, grinning. But then she went serious again. "It's Tory, right?"

Draco inhaled sharply, looking at her in alarm.

"I've seen how you look at her sometimes. And that goofy grin of yours," she shook her head. "It would also explain why you spend so much time with us."

"I don't have a goofy grin," Draco said.

"Oh, you do. You can hardly say her name without grinning like an idiot."

"That's not true," Draco said. He wanted to prove her wrong, but thinking Astoria's name alone already made him smile. "Damn."

Daphne laughed. "Man, you got it bad."

"Is it that obvious?" he finally conceded to Daphne's point.

"If you know what to look for," she said, amused.

"And what do you think?"

"I think Astoria could do a lot worse. Just... be nice to her. Because if you hurt her, you'll have me to answer to."

Even though he had just been threatened, Draco smiled. He had her blessing.

oooOOOooo

At dinner the next day, Draco still wasn't sure about asking Astoria out. He ate some of his haggis, looking at Astoria while chewing. He missed being in a relationship with her, being able to tell her how much he loved her.

He sighed and turned his gaze to Pansy, who was sitting a safe distance away from him. Good for her, he thought, sneering. She had already caused enough trouble. But then again, she was quite good looking. So really, Draco should feel flattered that such a pretty girl had taken an interest in him.

Oh, and now she was looking his way and flashing him a smile. He could not help but smile back. Her smile was really beautiful. The most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

No, that wasn't right. Astoria's was. But Astoria was way too young for him and probably didn't even like him. Pansy was a way better choice.

When Pansy left the Great Hall, Draco followed her, leaving his half-eaten food behind.

He followed her all the way back to the common room. Almost everyone was at dinner, so the room was empty.

"I'm sorry I was so mean to you," he told her.

"Oh, Draco," Pansy giggled, "no problem. I've already forgotten all about it."

"You look really pretty in that light." And she really did. Perfection, with the exception of one stray lock falling into her face, which he now gently tucked behind her ear. "I should have asked you to go to the Ball with me. Do you still want to?"

"Yes," she smiled.

But he hardly heard her answer, too focused on her lips. Oh, her lips - they looked so soft and delicious. He remembered what a good kisser she had been. He missed those kisses.

Before he could think anything else, he had pressed his lips on hers and closed his eyes. This was pure bliss.

He didn't know how long they were making out - it could have been a few second or an eternity - but suddenly they were violently separated and his cheek stung.

"What the hell are you playing at?!"

An angry looking Daphne filled his vision. She must have slapped him.

That was wrong, he didn't want to see _her_. He only wanted to see Pansy. He turned his head back towards Pansy, wanting to kiss her again, but Daphne yanked him away from her.

"Hey!" he complained.

"I was talking to you, Mister!" She growled.

"But I don't want to talk to you. I want back to Pansy. My beautiful Pansy. I think... I think I'm in love."

"That must be a joke, right? You're joking?" Daphne asked, confused.

Draco made his way back to where Pansy was standing, barely hearing what Daphne was saying.

But Daphne intervened again. She grabbed him and didn't let go off him.

"Hey," scoffed Pansy, "how about you get yourself your own boyfriend, ugly? This one's already taken!"

Daphne stared at them with an open mouth, blinking a couple of times. Then her face soured and she grabbed Draco by the hair.

"Your coming with me," she said, leaving no room for argument as she pulled him along with her.

"Where are we going? I want to stay with my Pansy!" Draco complained.

"Yeah- uhm- you know, Pansy will follow us shortly, she said you should go ahead."

"Okay," Draco answered. Wherever they were going, if Pansy was going to be there it couldn't be so bad.

She dragged him all the way to Snape's office, knocking at his door.

Snape opened the door, looking at them. "What now?" He said, sounding annoyed.

"Something's wrong with Draco," Daphne said.

"There's nothing wrong with me!" Draco looked around Snape. Pansy wasn't anywhere in the office and she hadn't been following them either. "Where's Pansy? You said she was going to be here. Let me go, I want to spend my time with her and not you, you liar. I love her so much. I miss her."

"See," Daphne said. "And his eyes look all wrong, too."

"I see," Snape said, examining Draco more closely. "And you suspect a love potion, I presume?"

"Hey! My love for her is real!" How dare he insult their love like that. He knew what real love felt like.

"Of course, of course," Snape agreed. "Draco," he adressed him directly, "since when have you been in love with Pansy?"

"Uhm... dinner? Have you ever noticed how gorgeous her eyes are?"

"Uhm- I can't say that I have," grumbled Snape, looking uncomfortable, examining Draco more closely. Then he turned towards his potion cabinet.

The whole thing was starting to get annoying. "Pansy isn't here. I'm going back to the common room."

"Just another minute," muttered Snape. Then he held a small crystal flask in his hand.

"Here," he gave it to Draco. "It's against bad breath."

Not a bad idea. At least someone supported his romantic endeavours. "Thanks, Professor," he said, downing the content of the vial in one.

After a few seconds, he growled, "shit."

"Language," chided Snape.

"Oh damn," Draco groaned, "I'm so sorry, Daphne. I really am an idiot."

"You can say that again," she muttered. "But that wasn't your fault."

"Still, I kissed her," he made a grimace.

"There's no accounting for taste, I guess. Just... don't do it again, alright. Very nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I promise," he smiled at her. "And thank you, Professor."

"You are welcome," answered Snape. "Looks like I'll have to have another word with Ms Parkinson," he sighed.

Back in the dorm, Draco did not even talk to Pansy, he was too mad. He'd definitely stay as far away as possible from now on.

oooOOOooo

"So," Neville started in their weekly study session after Draco had cast Muffliato, "you're going to ask Astoria to the Ball?"

Another day had passed since the incident with Pansy and the Ball was less than a week away.

Draco sighed. "I don't know. All of this is so... overwhelming."

"What's stopping you?"

"For one, I'm scared she'll reject me. And... I'm so much older than her." There, that was what had been really bothering him and which he could not discuss with anyone but Neville.

"Two whole years below us. But she's only one year younger than you, right? That's not too bad."

She was. Draco was one of the youngest in his year and Astoria one of the oldest in hers.

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it. I'm in my fourties and she's still a child. It's... wrong."

"Are you sure though?" Neville asked, looking amused.

"Sure about what?"

"The whole age thing," Neville leaned back. "I mean, you are 14 in everything but knowledge and experience."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco was not sure whether he was supposed to feel offended or not.

"Well," Neville grinned, "I don't think a real grown up would have such an easy time being friends with so many kids. We should bore you to tears with our petty little problems, really, but we don't. I never feel like I'm talking to an adult when I'm talking to you. Grown ups also don't eat like their a human trash can. They aren't as moody and prone to temper tantrums. They don't get into prank wars with other studens," at that, Neville chuckled. Draco and the Weasley twins had been in a real pranking war lately, one which was quickly escalating, and just two weeks ago, Draco had put a portrait of Sir Cadogan over the one of the Fat Lady with a permanent stickig charm, leaving the Gryffindors homeless and annoyed for a whole day. "And they certainly don't use their time throwing paper planes at other students during lessons."

"That was Theo's idea," Draco blushed. He hadn't know Neville had noticed. Weasley had deserved it, though.

"And I doubt the real grown up you would find teenagers even the least bit attractive..."

"I didn't. I found people my age attractive. But now they just look... old."

Neville laughed again. "And there is no doubt that you've got it hard for Astoria. The way you look at her and talk to her... Sounds weird, but I think you have a crush on your wife. You might think you're an adult, but you think, act and talk like a teenager."

Draco felt infinitely lighter, listening to Neville's point of view. He had never questioned whether he really still counted as grown up. Maybe there was more to age than just how long you've lived. Maybe the body and hormones were more important in that aspect than experience. And he had been acting more emotion-driven than before he came back.

"Thanks, Nev, that really helped."

"Anytime," he smiled.

"And who are you going with?"

Neville blushed. "D-Daphne."

Draco whistled. "Not bad. I'm impressed you asked her out."

Neville looked uncomfortable. "I haven't."

"What?" Draco laughed, "she asked you? Wow, good for you."

Neville smiled, but then frowned. "It shouldn't be such a big thing, considering we'll be at war within a year. But somehow it still is."

"Those things will always be huge. And the war... I feel it makes things more important, rather than less."

Neville nodded his head. "Maybe."

They were both quiet for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

"How'd you and Astoria originally get together?" Neville finally asked.

Draco looked in the distance, ordering his thoughts.

"I was in a pretty dark place after the end of the war - not because of the outcome," Draco hastily added, "but because society didn't take kindly to those with the Mark. And I was struggling with everything that had happened, with what I did. I had lost people and seen people die. And I was facing a trial. And I felt so freaking lonely."

Draco sighed and Neville gave him a sympathetic smile. "But what about your friends?"

Draco smiled a sad smile. "Never really had any."

"What about Crabbe and Goyle?"

Draco shook his head. "Two lunks who wouldn't know one end of a broom from another... The one thing I always envied Potter and his entourage for - friendship."

Neville nodded his head in understanding.

"Loneliness is a dangerous thing. It drags you down into a very dark place. The Dark Lord was a lonely boy and you know where that led."

"And that's why you joined the Dark L- oh man, I'm spending too much time with you, aren't I?"

Draco chuckled.

"So that was why you became a Death Eater?"

Draco considered this for a few seconds. "It was one factor, but not the only one. The way my parents brought me up didn't help much. But you're right. His followers aren't happy people. Only when you suffer yourself do you want others to suffer."

"But you're happy now, right?" Neville inquired.

"Yeah," he smiled at Neville. It was true. He had friends now and a future to look forward to.

"Anyways," Draco returned to the original topic of their discussion, "I sometimes met up with the remaining Slytherins after the war - even if we weren't close, we understood each other in a way few others could - and through Daphne I got to know Astoria," he smiled. "We talked a lot and, well, she saw good in me when I couldn't. She was my light in these dark times... she gave me a reason to go on. She wasn't just my wife - she was my savior and my best friend."

Neville smiled too. "Sounds brilliant."

"Yeah," Draco agreed.

oooOOOooo

Later that day, he saw Astoria walking to the Great Hall and decided to ask her before his courage left him again.

"Hi."

"Hi, Draco," she smiled at him.

"Uhm- I was wondering..." Why was this so difficult? "Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

First she smiled, but then her face fell. Not the reaction he had been hoping for.

"If you're just asking me so I can go to the Ball too-"

"No," Draco quickly interrupted her. "That's not it at all. I- uhm- I really like you, you know."

For a second she looked shocked, but then she smiled a brilliant, radiant smile. "Then I'd be honored to go to the Ball with you."

TBC

Story suggestions:

1\. The White Pawn by Soupy George - a (complete and well written) story about a time traveling Draco (Draco/Harry is hinted at, but nothing ever happens between them)

2\. Obscura Nox Animae by Heatherlly – A (Snily) story in which Lily survives but the story stays canon-compliant till the Battle of Hogwarts. I usually don't like Lily-survives stories, but this one is really good.


	57. Chapter 57

Thank you for all the reviews.

Sorry for not updating in a while, but until I graduate (hopefully June/July) university has to come first. I get regular panic attacks thinking about how I have to pass two major oral exams and write an 80 page diploma thesis till May, but I have managed to write about a thousand words every November on this story so I should be able to do the same for my thesis. I will still try to write a chapter every week.

It was my birthday two days ago, so be nice ;)

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Although the fourth years were given a heavy load of homework, Draco was floating on cloud number nine for the rest of the week. Astoria had said she would be _honored_ to go with him, and that alone was enough for him to be in a constant state of bliss. All the feelings he harbored for Astoria and which he usually had to squash were finally freed from their Occlumency restraints and ready to dictate his body and mind. For once, Draco was absolutely happy and care free.

As a result, everything else went smoothly as well. He had no problems picking out the perfect Christmas presents for all of his friends and his family, the cure he was working on with Snape and Neville was coming along nicely, and the prank war he was in with Fred and George, who he could now correctly identify 80% of the time, was also keeping the school entertained. Although, right now it looked like the twins were winning. Fred and George had had a great success with their newest invention - Canary Creams - and for the first couple of days of the holidays, people kept bursting into feathers all over the place.

Soon, everyone had learned to treat food anybody else offered them with extreme caution, in case it had a Canary Cream concealed in the center. Not that Draco hadn't learned a long time ago that food at Hogwarts could never be trusted.

Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savory puddings.

One morning, Draco overheard the Golden Trio talking in the Great Hall.

"Hermione - who are you going to the ball with?" asked Ron out of the blue.

Hermione merely frowned and said, "I'm not telling you."

Draco chuckled. He knew exactly who she was going with. Krum had been in a constant state of nervous anxiety until he finally managed to ask her out. How could a Quidditch legend have such self-esteem issues, Draco wondered.

"Oh come on. We're your best friends. You can tell us," Ron tried again.

"No. You'll only make fun of me."

"If you don't tell us we'll just assume you're making this mysterious lover up," Ron huffed.

"Excuse me?" Hermione growled.

"Relax, Granger," Draco said, choosing this moment to enter their conversation. "He's just moody because he's the only one in the whole school without a date."

"Shut it, Malfoy," spat Ron, scathingly. But that only made Draco laugh, because he knew he was right.

"Maybe one of the Patil twins will go with you… or Pansy," Draco shuddered. He had been avoiding her ever since the love potion fiasco.

Ron just glared at him.

"How about Luna, then? Astoria mentioned no one has asked her yet."

"I don't need to take little girls on pity dates because they can't go any other way," he spat. "I imagine that's the only reason she - or anyone really - would go with someone like you."

"Take that back, Weasel," Draco growled, good mood vanished, drawing his wand.

"Hey," Potter sprang up and stood between them. "Calm down. Jesus, Ron, what's gotten into you?"

But Ron had left them already.

"Don't take it personally," Hermione muttered. "He's been like that since he asked Fleur out. Unsuccessfully, obviously."

Draco shrugged. He'd had a feeling that he and the Weasel wouldn't become friends anytime soon.

"Still, it was uncalled for," said Potter. "I am taking someone younger as well."

"Ginny?" Draco grinned. Probably another reason for Weasley's bad mood.

Harry nodded.

"Did you ask her out?" He did not remember them going together the first time around, but then again he did not remember who he went with instead either. The ball and who went with whom... it had seemed so big and important, back then, but he could barely remember anything from that night besides snogging Pansy in the end.

"Uhm-" Harry blushed, "not really."

"Ron asked her. Although "asked" might be the wrong term. He pretentiously said Ginny could go with Harry and I could go with him," explained Hermione. "He just assumed no one would want to go out with us and that he was doing us a favor," she huffed.

"Always the charmer," Draco grinned.

oooOOOooo

On his way back to his dorm, he saw Snape heading for the Astronomy tower. He was followed by McGonagall.

"Severus!" she called, bringing him to a stop. Draco hid behind a corner. He did not want to eavesdrop, but he needed to pass that corridor to get back to his dorm and he did not want to get into the middle of whatever this was.

"Severus, I've been looking all over for you," McGonagall started. "Haven't you gotten my note?"

"Must have gotten lost in all the paperwork..."

McGonagall glared at him.

"Can't this wait? I was just-"

"On your way to the Astronomy tower?" interrupted McGonagall. "In the middle of the day. During a snow storm, no less."

"Minerva... Do I really have to? Why can't-"

"You are their Head of House! You have a champion in your house. It is your duty," McGonagall explained calmly.

"I refuse to do it," stated Snape, but Draco had a feeling that whatever McGonagall wanted, she would get it.

"I will not have our champions be shown up by those from Beauxbaton or Durmstrang. Besides, if you don't," she leaned forward, whispering something into Snape's ear.

Snape inhaled sharply and went rather pale. "You would not dare," he whispered.

"Try me." McGonagall had an evil glint in her eyes. "And I will make sure that every Slytherin who ever serves a detention will clean the Gryffindor house cup."

"Fine, I'll do it," sighed Snape.

McGonagall just grinned.

oooOOOooo

Later that day, Snape announced that every Slytherin fourth year up would have to come to a meeting in an empty classroom after dinner.

"What's this again?" groaned Blaise. "Another serial killer on the loose?"

Daphne chuckled. "You should ask Draco. He is our resident serial killer expert."

"Hey," laughed Draco. "I have absolutely no idea what this could be about."

"Rrrrright," laughed Theo. "Not sure anyone believes you anymore."

"Well, it's probably got something to do with the ball, seeing how only those who are allowed to go there are called to the meeting."

They had reached the classroom and gathered around their Head of House. Snape seemed quite calm, which Draco found impressive as he knew he probably felt miserable.

"Attention," Snape called, which immediately let all the noise of the gathering die down. "As you know, the Yule ball is approaching. Although meant as a night of well mannered frivolity, I expect each and everyone of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally as the Yule ball is first and foremost, a dance."

Draco could not help but snicker. Was Snape going to teach them how to dance?

"Mr. Malfoy, do you find this amusing?" Snape chided.

"No, sir," gulped Draco.

Then McGonagall joined them and Draco was not sure whether that made his godfather more uncomfortable or less.

McGonagall explained the basics of the dance they were learning and promptly demonstrated with Snape.

Best spy in the world or not, it was as clear as day that their professor was anything but happy about the situation. They were good dancers, but seeing the two strict professors dance together was still by far the most hilarious thing Draco had seen all year and he was not the only one chuckling. Within 10 minutes they had lost Slytherin a three-digit number of house points.

"Everyone, find yourself a partner," Snape finally barked and Draco knew that he would enjoy seeing them struggling through this socially awkward situation as much as they had watching him.

At first, everyone seemed shocked, but then, a commotion broke out, as everyone tried to find a partner. Had Draco not been equally panicked, he would have found the distress of his usually so calm and collected house funny.

Draco could see Pansy stalking towards him and quickly searched for Daphne. But as soon as he found her, Theo stepped towards her and asked her for a dance.

Draco glowered at Theo, who stuck his tongue out in Draco's direction.

Pansy was getting closer.

"Tracey!" Draco near yelled. Draco had been standing behind the girl in question which now jumped around, startled. "Sorry," Draco mumbled, as she stared at him wide eyed, "do you want to dance?"

First she looked unsure, but then she nodded.

Draco breathed out in relief. He looked over her shoulder to see Pansy pout. She was the only girl who had not found a partner yet and as Blaise had just asked Millicent, that only left her with Crabbe and Goyle.

He wondered whether the Gryffindors had to go through this with McGonagall, but judging by what he had seen transpire between them, she probably had. Snape had not done this in the original timeline, but maybe that was just because they did not have a Slytherin champion originally.

"D-do you know how to dance?" Tracey asked uncertainly, when Snape instructed the boys to put their right hands on their partners' waists.

"My parents taught me - don't all parents do that?" Draco asked. He looked around the room. Around three quarters of the students seemed to know the basics of how to dance.

"Uhm- no. Mine didn't," she said. She seemed to be uncomfortable drawing attention to the fact that she was not a pureblood like most others in their house.

"It's fine," Draco assured her, "I'll show you."

oooOOOooo

Draco spent most of the morning of Christmas Day in his dorm, where everyone was enjoying their presents, then returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers.

They went out onto the grounds in the afternoon; the snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students on their way up to the castle. Draco and his friends had a huge snowball fight with the Weasleys and the Golden Trio.

The girls left early, getting ready for the Ball. The boys only quit their fight when it got too dark to aim properly.

"Hi, Nev," Draco pulled Neville aside on their way back to the castle, "care to join me to the greenhouses?"

"Why would you- oh, you want to get Astoria flowers?"

Draco nodded enthusiastically.

"Should I get Daphne flowers as well?" he asked uncertainly.

"Can't go wrong with flowers," Draco said, shrugging his shoulders.

Once they opened the door, a wave of tropic heat and humidity hit them.

"Geez, it must have a bazillion degrees in here," coughed Draco.

Neville chuckled. "I'm sure it only feels like that because we spent hours in the snow."

Draco hummed in agreement and reached for some purple flowers.

"Not those," Neville said, "chrysanthemums are such funeral flowers."

Draco took his hand back.

"And nothing yellow. Yellow means friendship and I guess that's not the kind of message you want to send."

"Good point," laughed Draco. "So which ones can I use?"

"Hmm," Neville scratched his chin. "Red is always a good color. Red roses are a classic."

"A little cliché, too."

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "She's your wife, don't you know what flowers she likes?"

"She loves sunflowers. They seem a bit weird for a first date, though."

Neville nodded his head.

Draco frowned. "Just tell me what flower symbolizes that she is the most kind, sweet, intelligent and beautiful person I have ever met."

Neville looked at Draco, amused. "You've got it bad," he chuckled. "How about asters?" He pointed at a red daisy-like, star shaped wildflower. "They symbolize wisdom, love and undying devotion. It's said that the aster was created by the Greek goddess, Astraea. Also fits her name."

Draco smiled, looking at the flowers in new appreciation. "They are perfect. How do you know all of this?"

Neville shrugged his shoulders.

"I feel like Daphne should get you flowers, instead of the other way 'round," Draco laughed. "What are you getting her?"

"Amaryllis, I think," answered Neville and grabbed a red and white flower. "It's a flower of determination and radiant beauty as well as pride. Doesn't that sound like Daphne to you?"

Draco laughed. "Nev, I think I'm not the only one who has a crush on someone."

Neville bushed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, let's go. We don't want to keep our dates waiting."

oooOOOooo

Draco put on his best black velvet dress robes.

Most of the students with partners from other houses met them in the entrance hall, but Draco decided to wait for Astoria in front of her common room. While waiting, he ignored all the Ravenclaws looking at him warily.

When he finally spotted Astoria, it took his breath away. Her light brown hair fell down her back in magnificent curls, her eyes shone brighter than ever and she smiled a brilliant smile. She was wearing a long, dark-blue chiffon dress with rhinestones on the upper part.

"Wow… You- wow," Draco was at a loss for words. "You look absolutely stunning," he finally said.

Astoria blushed. "Thanks."

"I got you flowers," Draco said, handing her the asters.

Astoria was delighted and sprinted back into her dorm to put them into a vase.

Once back, Draco took her arm and they went to the entrance hall, which was packed with students, all waiting for the doors to the Great Hall to open.

There they found Harry with an excited Ginny, Neville with Daphne, and an unhappy looking Ron with an equally unhappy looking Parvati.

"Looking good, ladies," Draco grinned. Years of experience with dinner parties made the whole situation a lot easier than it had originally been.

"Thanks," said Daphne, "looking dapper yourself."

Draco smiled reassuringly at Neville, who looked a little uncertain.

They sat next to each other during the dinner. But Neville only talked to Daphne, and Draco only to Astoria. Harry seemed to be enjoying himself, talking to Ginny, whereas Ron just looked grumpy.

Draco ans Astoria watched the champions open the dance floor. After their first dance, the floor was open for everyone.

"Do you want to dance?" Draco asked and Astoria nodded enthusiastically.

"You know how, right?" she asked.

Draco put his right hand on her waist. "Yes. My mother thought it prudent I knew how. But even if I hadn't, Snape gave us a lesson."

Astoria laughed and held up her right hand, which Draco took in his left.

"No, seriously, he did." The dance began and Draco brought his right foot forward and the same time Astoria took her left back. Soon they were swirling around the dance floor. "I saw Snape dance with McGonagall."

"I wish I could have seen that," she chuckled.

"It was hilarious. But not as hilarious as watching Crabbe step on Pansy's feet or watching Millicent and Blaise fight over who should lead."

"Sounds like you had fun."

"Not as much fun as I'm having with you."

Astoria smiled.

"Who taught you how to dance? You are a great dancer."

"Thanks. My sister. My mum taught Daphne when she was eight. She thought I was still too young to learn but I wanted to learn it so badly, my sister taught me secretly."

Draco chuckled. "How did that go?"

"Pretty well until I broke a vase. But mum wasn't too mad. I do love music."

"Do you play any instruments?"

"The piano. My dad is teaching me how."

And just like that, Draco forgot everything around him. He didn't notice which songs the Weird Sisters were playing, which other students were there and with whom, he did not look at the champions, he didn't stare at Hermione like almost everyone else did, he did not once look at the head table, where Madame Maxim, Karkaroff, Bagman, Crouch and the teachers were sitting, he did not even watch McGonagall force every Professor to dance with her. He only had eyes for Astoria and enjoyed the moment. They danced and laughed, and Draco only noticed other dancing couples enough to not crash into them while dancing.

After an hour or two, their faces were flushed, and Astoria asked him for a break.

"I'll get us drinks and then we can go for a walk."

He got himself a bottle of butterbeer and a bottle of Pumpkin Fizz for Astoria. Ron was sitting next to the drinks, alone and sulking. Harry was on the dancefloor with Ginny.

Astoria and Draco slipped out into the entrance hall. The front doors stood open, and the fluttering fairy lights in the rose garden winked and twinkled as they went down the front steps, where they found themselves surrounded by bushes; winding, ornamental paths; and large stone statues. Draco could hear splashing water, which sounded like a fountain. Here and there, people were sitting on carved benches.

Draco handed her the Pumpkin Fizz.

"Thanks. It's my favorite, how did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Draco smiled.

They walked through the garden, talking about everything under the sun. They talked about their families, their friends, their hobbies, their hopes and dreams.

While walking, they saw Madame Maxim and Hagrid. When they heard Snape approach, they hid behind some rose bushes.

"Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroffs voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it -"

"Then flee," said Snapes voice curtly. "Flee - I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."

Snape and Karkaroff came around the corner. Snape had his wand out and was blasting rosebushes apart, his expression most ill-natured. Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes emerged from them.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Longbottom!" Snape snarled as Neville ran past him, holding the hand of Daphne. "And ten points from Slytherin too, Miss Greengrass!" They both ran away, laughing.

Snape and Karkaroff kept on walking.

Astoria and Draco began to giggle.

Good for them, Draco thought. He turned his attention back to Astoria. They were looking at each other and there was an awkward silence. Draco wondered whether he should kiss Astoria. He really wanted to, but he wasn't sure how Astoria felt and didn't want to pressure her.

But he needn't have worried, because before he could say or do anything, she had closed her eyes and the distance between them. Draco's mind shut down after that. He didn't think any longer, but instead just felt. And he felt great. Fantastic. And in love.

They kissed for quite some time. And then they stared into each other's eyes, smiling. No words were necessary.

But suddenly, the rose bush behind which they were standing was pulled aside and the face of Severus Snape appeared in their line of vision.

"Draco?" Snape sounded surprised.

"Evening, Professor," he said with a cheeky grin.

"A-Are you enjoying the ball?" Astoria asked, innocently.

Snape's look of surprise changed to one of annoyance. "Not quite," he mumbled. "How about you two get back inside? The ball is almost over."

Draco put his arm around Astoria and they walked back inside. They returned to the dance floor, dancing till the Weird Sisters played their last song. Then Draco walked Astoria back to her common room.

"Tonight was perfect," Astoria said, smiling at Draco.

"It was," he agreed. They were looking at each other, neither wanting to end the night by saying goodbye.

But eventually, Draco gave Astoria soft, sweet kiss, and said "Night."

"Night," Astoria smiled.

Draco went back to his own common room. Astoria had been right: The night had truly been perfect.

TBC

A.N.:

Any ideas for future chapters are greatly appreciated. From April to July I have a pretty good plan for what's going to happen and I already have a few chapters written, but for January to March I could still use some ideas :)

I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know what you think :)

In case you were wondering, Harry is going with Ginny because Neville is going with Daphne. Draco doesn't know because I doubt he remembers that Neville originally went with Ginny.

I'm not trying to bash Ron. And it's not like I don't like him. But he was quite the asshole in the fourth book, not talking to Harry and being mean to Hermione... And he is (not yet at least) a friend of Draco's...

The ball is a bit of a mix between the book and the movie.

Story suggestions:

1\. From a terrible fate by forevordreamer – Fred and George try to get Sirius and Snape to befriend.

2\. Dudley Dursley and the Deathly Hallows by Grey Streaked Fur – The Deathly Hallows from a surprisingly likable Dudley's point of view.


	58. Chapter 58

Thanks for the reviews and the birthday wishes :)

Anon: thanks for telling me about "anyways", I won't use it in the future and when I go over earlier chapters again I will change it. I am not a native speaker, so I appreciate it if people tell me about mistakes I make.

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Draco got up late the next day. Everyone else did as well. The students seemed rather deflated. The Yule Ball, the biggest event of the year, was over, and most students realized that sooner or later they would have to tackle the homework they had neglected so far.

Draco, however, felt wonderful. He couldn't remember a time when he felt better. All his worries that Astoria might not like him had been unfounded. She liked him, a lot, and had even kissed him.

When he trotted into the common room he found Cassius Warrington waiting for him.

"Morning," Draco yawned.

"Morning," the other boy mumbled. "Listen, Malfoy, I know the tip about the dragons came from Potter... and I really hate to owe anyone, least of all a Gryffindor. Could you, if you see him anywhere, tell him that he should open the egg under water?"

For a second Draco was confused, but then he remembered that the hint for the second task was a golden egg. Warrington had opened it in the common room right after the first task and Draco was suffering from a tinnitus for days after that.

"Alright."

Warrington nodded his head and left the room.

"Good morning," Theo greeted, walking into the common room and grinning.

"Morning," replied Draco. "How was your night?"

"Absolutely brilliant."

Draco couldn't help but grin as well.

On the way to the Great Hall they filled each other in on the last night's events. Apparently, things had gone well for Johanna and Theo.

But once they were in the Great Hall, Draco immediately noticed that something wasn't right. For perhaps the first time since Draco had started attending Hogwarts, the focus of attention was neither him, nor Potter or any of the other champions.

Draco and Theo sat down next to Daphne, who was sitting alone at one end of the Slytherin table.

"Hey, there," Theo greeted her. "Everything alright? People are staring at you?"

"Really?" she hissed, "Haven't noticed."

"Woah, sorry for asking," Theo muttered, glancing at Draco who just shrugged his shoulders.

Daphne dropped her shoulders. "No, I'm sorry. It's not your fault everyone is a little barmy today."

"What's wrong?" asked Draco, grabbing a piece of toast.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" drawled a voice from behind them. "Two more fraternizing with the enemy."

Daphne rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Pansy?" asked Theo. "And since when is Daphne "the enemy"?"

"Oh, don't pretend like you don't know. I really thought better of you two, boys." Pansy wrinkled her nose at them.

"Just leave us alone," growled Daphne.

"No worries. It's not like I would want to spend any time with you," she spat the last words with as much venom as she could and left them to sit somewhere else.

Daphne sighed.

"Wow, what's gotten her wand in a twist?" asked Theo, sipping his tea.

"It's not just her," moaned Daphne. "It's everyone, really."

"Is this because you went to the ball with Neville?" asked Draco. "Pansy seemed to get along fine with him during our study sessions."

"Apparently Slytherins are not allowed to go on dates with Gryffindors. But I think she's just pissed because you didn't go to the ball with her and she had to go with Crabbe," she shrugged her shoulders. "She'll get over it. But with the rest of the house, I'm not so sure. They - well, most of them - weren't all too happy with our behavior even before the ball. But now?" She had a worried look on her face.

"So, I take it things went well yesterday?" asked Draco.

Daphne smiled wistfully. "Things were perfect. Well, until I woke up this morning and everyone's decided I am public enemy number one."

"I'm sure things will blow over soon," said Theo. "I mean – half of our house is still not talking to me, but at least they stopped being such assholes about it."

"Wow," Draco groaned, "ever thought of writing motivational speeches, Theo?"

Daphne smiled. "It's okay, at least he's trying. I guess I'll just have to get used to this because I sure as hell won't let anyone dictate who I go out with."

Draco smiled at her. He wanted to say something but yelling from the other side of the hall stopped him.

"You are such an arse, Ronald Weasley!"

That sounded like Granger.

"Me?! What about him?" they heard Weasley yell.

Draco and Daphne looked at each other, before they jumped up and towards the commotion.

"Oh, look," spat Weasley, "there is the root of all evil."

"Are you talking about me?" growled Draco.

"Obviously! You've been infiltrating-"

"Infiltrating what?" Draco snapped.

"Ever since last year you have been trying to drive a wedge between us!"

"Oh, you've done a fine job of that yourself, Ron," yelled Granger.

"Are you blind?" countered Weasley, "I'm not the one who stole Neville's remembrall in first year! I'm not the one who called him stupid! I am also not the one who asked Harry for a duel and then chickened out, tried to get him into trouble every chance I could, and hoped he would die. And I am most definitely not the one who called you a "mudblood"!"

Hermione flinched.

"Guys," interrupted Neville, "can't we all just calm down and-"

"Shut it, you traitor!" barked Weasley.

"Don't talk to him like that!" yelled Daphne.

"Oh great, now she's here as well," moaned Seamus Finnigan, rolling his eyes and apparently siding with Weasley. "Don't you all see what they are doing? They are tearing our house apart!"

"We're not tearing anything apart!" that was Theo.

"Do we look stupid, or what? We can recognize an evil plan when we see one," growled Seamus.

"Stupid?" huffed Draco, "Finnigan, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

Draco did not know who had said what and who had first drawn his wand after that, but the situation quickly escalated. In the end, Daphne had been hit with a nasty bat-bogey hex and Hermione was a sobbing mess on the ground, hit again, unsurprisingly, by a _Densaugeo_. Crabbe and Goyle had at some point joined the fight, apparently thinking it was a "Gryffindor VS Slytherin" thing, having been disarmed, then went about it muggle style and were currently on the ground wrestling with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Theo was covered in boils. Potter was looking rather pale. And Neville had left the scene altogether.

Now, Snape and McGonagall were there. Scolding. Deducting points. Giving them all detention.

Draco patiently waited until all of it was over, accepting whatever punishment they felt he deserved - not that he had done anything. Once the professors were done and accompanied the injured to the infirmary, Draco set off to find Neville, but ran into Astoria on his way out of the Great Hall.

"Hey, Draco," she beamed.

"Hey," Draco smiled, momentarily forgetting that he wanted to talk to Neville.

"Yesterday was..." she began.

"I know," he smiled.

"Do you want to do something like that again?"

"Most definitely."

"How about tonight?" Astoria asked, looking hopeful.

Draco frowned. "I'm sorry. Detention. But let's meet in the library tomorrow. And I thought..." he took a deep breath, "Slughorn's throwing a New Year's party. Would you... would you like to be my date?"

"Yes," she smiled at him.

He smiled back, but then remembered Neville. "I got to go look for Neville. Can you talk to your sister?"

"Are the others giving them a hard time?"

Draco nodded his head.

Astoria nodded her head. "See you later."

They smiled at each other for a little while longer, before Astoria went on a search for her sister and Draco for Neville.

He found him where he had suspected him: In the Room of Requirement.

There he sat on the ground, looking quite miserable.

Draco walked over to him and sank down to the ground next to him.

"Rough morning?" Draco asked sympathetically.

Neville snorted, "you can say that again. Yesterday was magnificent... and today..." he shook his head.

"I'm sorry," Draco mumbled.

"Whatever for?"

"Well, Weasley is kind of right. It is my fault that you don't get along with your own house anymore. And I did all of those things..."

"Oh Draco," Neville laughed, "it's not your fault. And I can't really blame you for things that you did thirty years ago."

"But they didn't happen thirty years ago! Not for you and the others. For them I am just a huge git who made their first two years at Hogwarts miserable and then all of a sudden wants to be friends and forget all about it. Without an apology. I don't have a right-"

"Draco," Neville interrupted, "stop beating yourself up over it. You do have the right to change your mind and have friends."

They both remained silent for a few seconds. "I still think that you can blame me for all that happened, and you probably should. It was still me who did all of it, no matter how long ago. I just want you to know, I am sorry for everything I did to you. I don't think you're stupid, at least not anymore. You are a great friend and I really don't deserve you."

Neville smiled at Draco. "Thanks. But I really don't blame you for anything that's going on right now. Say whatever you want, but I know that I never really had any close friends in the other timeline. I know that because I didn't really have any in this one before we became friends. I mean, I get along fine with the others, but... you know... They don't usually include me when they do anything. They don't tell me what's going on..." Neville smiled a sad smile.

"I know what you mean," whispered Draco. Neville's thoughts painfully mirrored his own. He had also never been disliked by his own house, but he had also never felt like he had any true friends in it.

"I have never had any close friends, not until we became friends. And I'd take this reality, in which we are friends, and in which Astoria, Daphne, Theo and Sirius are my friends, in which someone like Daphne would ask someone like me on a date, over that one in which we hated each other any day. The others will just have to get used to this new reality. They haven't really been there for me before, so what right do they have to tell me who to be friends with now?"

Draco smiled. They sat in companionable silence until Draco said, "so you and Daphne, huh?"

Neville laughed, "we've just been on one date!"

"A pretty good one, by what I've gathered."

Neville shrugged his shoulders, but couldn't hide his grin. "We thought about meeting again, tonight."

"Oh, you will meet her tonight."

Neville raised an eyebrow.

"We all got detention," Draco explained. "You, I, Daphne and Theo... And Potter, Granger... Ron and Ginny Weasley, Finnigan, Thomas, Crabbe-"

Neville began to laugh. "So the whole school, basically?"

"Pretty much."

"Wow," Neville sighed. "You go on one date and suddenly the whole world is turned upside down."

"Well, it doesn't happen often that a lion and a snake go on a date."

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "Any ideas what I can do about it?"

"No. But I'll talk to your roommates. Maybe that will help. And I think you should go and talk to Daphne."

oooOOOooo

After lunch he managed to catch the golden trio on their own.

"What do you want?" growled Weasley. "Haven't you already caused enough trouble for one day?"

Draco raised his hands. "I'm just here to talk."

"Well, we don't want to talk to you!"

"Ron!" hissed Hermione.

"I understand that," started Draco, "I really do. You are completely right, with everything you have said today. And that's why I'm here..." he took a deep breath. "I want to apologize."

"You- what?"

"I want to apologize. To all of you. For everything I did."

"You don't have to," muttered Potter.

Draco smirked but then glanced at Weasley. "Apparently, I do. But never mind that, I should have apologized to you ages ago. I've been a git. I know that now. I believed everything my parents told me and thought I was better than everyone else just because I was born a Malfoy. I don't believe that anymore. If it comes to a war again, I will be on your side." Draco took a deep breath, turning to Hermione. "Granger, I am sorry I called you a mudblood. I shouldn't have done it and it won't happen again."

Granger opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.

"Potter... I don't even know where to begin. I have called you names, ratted you out to teachers, got you into trouble and wished for your death... I can't undo the past," at least not anymore, he added mentally, "only make sure it won't happen again in the future."

"Th-thanks, Draco," stammered Harry. "I'm sorry as well for what role I played in our- uhm - rivalry."

Draco smiled. Potter was so forgiving, it was amazing. But he should have known, considering how he had defended him after the war and would one day name one of his sons after his most hated teacher.

Draco turned to Weasley, who had a look of defiance on his face. He was the hardest to apologize to. But if he wanted to help Neville, he had to do it.

"Weasley... I'm sorry I called you poor and stupid and a blood traitor-" Draco stopped abruptly because listing all the insults he had used against him did not seem to pacify the red-head. "I'm sorry. You are a great friend to those two and I can respect that. I know we probably won't become friends anytime soon... Just please don't let Neville suffer because of it. He didn't do anything wrong. And neither did Daphne."

Ron just nodded his head, not looking at Draco. It was probably the best he would get for now, so Draco turned around to leave.

"Wait," called Harry, "will you ever tell us what made you change your mind?"

Draco smiled. "Perhaps. But not today." He looked at the trio for a few seconds. "Open the egg underwater," he finally said.

"What?"

"The golden egg. Warrington told me to tell you to open in underwater." And with that, he left. He didn't know whether his apology would change anything, but it really was something that just had to be said.

TBC

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates Easter. I'm busy with studying and writing my thesis, and for some reason I still thought it would be a good idea to travel to Rome next week.

What did you guys think of this chapter? Let me know :)

My story suggestions:

1.) How to become an Animagus by princegeorge - A hilarious story in which McGonagall teaches Snape how to become an Animagus. (complete)

2.) George Weasley and the Computational Error by pisoprano – George travels through time to save his brother. (complete)


	59. Chapter 59

Zeivira: Thanks for the brilliant ideas. I might incorporate some of them later in the story :)

marylopez0812: Don't worry, there will be some great bonding moments between Draco and his mother and Draco and Snape during the Easter holidays :)

I am back from Rome and passed my last exam (well, the last regular exam that is not my diploma exam) so I am quite excited and a little less stressed than before. Now I've just got to finish my diploma thesis and then pass my very last exam in June or July.

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Detention, after that, was surprisingly uneventful. Maybe it had been the teacher present, maybe it had been his apology. Or maybe it was the sheer number of students present, which kept everyone from starting a fight. Draco really didn't know. He was just glad that things stayed, apart from people glaring at each other, quiet.

This continued throughout the holidays. People would whisper and glare, but everyone was busy with homework and Draco and his friends often hid in the library or the Room of Requirement, so the other students couldn't bother them too much.

Time passed quickly and soon the last day of a quite eventful year arrived.

Draco did not remember there ever being a Slug Club New Year's party. Then again, he had never been a part of the Slug Club before, which had probably been due to his father being in Azkaban when Slughorn had taught him the first time around. He had also been quite preoccupied with being depressed and trying to find a way to accomplish the impossible - kill the most powerful wizard of their time. Sixth year had been a truly dreadful experience for Draco. Nothing good happened that year. Quite different from how things were going now.

He met Astoria in front of her dorm. She was wearing a beautiful green dress.

"Hi," he said, kissing her. "You look stunning as always. Shall we get going?" He held out his arm for her.

"Oh yes," she said happily. "Where is the party?"

"Slughorn's office," said Draco, leading her up the marble staircase. "Did you hear, there's supposed to be a vampire coming?"

"Rufus Scrimgeour?" laughed Astoria.

"I — what?"

Astoria giggled. "Just one of Luna's theories. She has a vivid imagination."

"She's got that from her father, I assume," he muttered.

"Still mad because of that Veela article?" giggled Astoria.

Draco rolled his eyes. "It must be my undeniable handsomeness," he deadpanned. "Being such a dashing young man... makes being part Veela a natural conclusion, I suppose."

"Can't say I disagree on that part," she edged a little closer to him, blushing faintly.

Approaching Slughorn's office, they could hear laughter and music coming from the other side of the door.

Once they entered the office, Draco was stunned. The office appeared much larger than the usual teacher's study. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room was crowded and stuffy and bathed in the red light cast by an ornate golden lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light. Loud singing accompanied by what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner; a haze of pipe smoke hung over several elderly warlocks deep in conversation, and a number of house-elves were negotiating their way squeakily through the forest of knees, obscured by the heavy silver platters of food they were bearing, so that they looked like little roving tables.

"Ah Draco, my boy," boomed Slughorn's loud voice. "Come in, come in." His gaze fell on Astoria. "Ah, Ms. Greengrass, welcome," he turned back to Draco, a look of approval on his face, "did you know your friend is the best Potion's student in her year?"

"Really?" Draco smiled at Astoria proudly. He wasn't surprised at all.

Draco looked around the room. He could see a few teachers and several Slytherins - Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Hestia and Flora Carrow and Melinda Bobbin. Daphne was there as well, being the date of Neville. Ever since the first class in which Neville had won the Felix Felicis, he had been one of Slughorn's favorite students.

Draco spotted Viktor Krum and Hermione Granger. There were quite a few students form the other schools. Besides Krum, Draco could make out Johanna and Serge, standing next to Theo. Apparently, Slughorn had seized the opportunity to expand his influence to other countries.

Harry Potter, of course, was there as well. He had brought Ginny, but she was standing a few feet away, as Harry was surrounded by the prominence among the members of the Slug Club.

Draco leaned over to Astoria and whispered, "That's the vampire, over there," and he motioned his head in Potter's direction. Potter was talking to a small, stout, bespectacled man. Next to him was a tall, dark figure which seemed a bit out of place.

"Is that Eldred Worple? I read _Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires_ ," Astoria seemed excited, "than the other guy must be Sanguini."

Once Slughorn had moved on to other newcomers, Draco and Astoria approached the famous author.

"Oh, Mr. Worple, I have read all of your books. It's such an honor to meet you. And Mr. Sanguini, of course."

While Astoria chatted happily with Worple, Ginny used the chance to pull Harry away from the crowd. Draco stepped away to get himself and Astoria drinks, when Daphne made her way towards him.

"Lost Neville?" Draco smirked.

"Ha ha, very funny," Daphne rolled her eyes, "he's talking to a Herbology genius. The leading expert in the field. Five minutes into their conversation I couldn't understand a word they were saying anymore," she said, smiling. She did not sound bitter at all. "I seem to be dating a genius."

"Congratulations," chuckled Draco. "Your sister has left me to fawn over other men."

Daphne laughed. "No surprise there, considering all the famous authors running around here."

"I'm not fawning over anyone." Astoria had suddenly appeared behind them and Draco handed her her drink. "I got an autograph, though."

Draco examined the signed photograph. "Nice."

"Did you know that Worple is already working on his next book? He's thinking about becoming a vampire himself. Isn't that fascinating?"

"Would definitely boost his sales," said Daphne.

The three chatted about the advantages and disadvantages of eternal damnation until Neville and Theo joined their group.

"I met Mr. Novikov," Theo told them, "he's an Unspeakable. He did not tell me much about his work, but it seems to have something to do with time. I thought, maybe I could do something similar after Hogwarts."

Draco nearly choked on his drink and Neville had to pet him on the back a few times.

"Well," Neville changed the topic, smirking, "I talked to Selina Sapworthy. She gave me a signed copy of _Winogrand's Wonderous Water Plants._ "

"Wow," said Daphne and Astoria in unison.

"There's so much I still don't know about Herbology and that they don't teach at Hogwarts. Did you know that you can use Herbology in Divination? It's called Xylomancy. Selina told me all about it. I really can't wait to be done with Hogwarts. Selina offered me an internship for when I'm done with my schooling."

"Amazing," Daphne smiled at Neville, but then frowned, "I didn't know we had to decide our whole future today."

Draco laughed. "I think career counseling is scheduled for next year, so you still have some time."

"Draco," Astoria suddenly whispered, "I think Professor Snape wants to talk to you."

"Huh?" Draco turned around. Snape was standing next to an older wizard. He was indeed motioning for Draco to join him.

"Oh, he's talking to Professor Spleen. I've seen him at St. Mungo's," said Neville.

"Great," Draco said, "if you already know him you can join me. Ladies - and Theo - we'll be back shortly." Draco inclined his head and dragged Neville towards the two older men.

"Professor," Draco greeted.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Longbottom. May I introduce you to Prof. Spleen. He works as a potioneer at the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo's."

"No need to be so formal," laughed the wizard, "Call me Helbert. It is a pleasure to meet you, gentlemen. Your Professor has told me of your endeavor and I must say, I am intrigued."

Draco and Neville looked at each other and beamed.

"We have discussed the specifics of the potion and I think by summer we should be able to test it. It is a shame it takes such a long time to create the aconite concentrate."

"About that," interrupted Neville, "Selina Sapworthy told me she is working on a method to synthesize the effect of the concentrate using plants which are easier to procure."

Snape and Helbert looked at each other. "That sounds highly alchemical," Snape pondered, "but I shall talk to her about this."

"If such a thing is possible, we could test your theory by April...," mused Helbert. "I will arrange for a meeting during the Easter holidays. You two should really consider a career in healing."

They talked some more before Helbert Spleen had to leave.

Draco was beginning to see the benefits of such gatherings. He had always thought that Slughorn just enjoyed being surrounded by the rich and famous. But bringing the most brilliant people of their generation together could do so much more than just boost one's reputation. Brilliant people could achieve incredible things on their own, but combining the different fields could lead to truly miraculous outcomes. Golpalott's third law stated that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components. Perhaps magic was like that, too. Magic was more than just the sum of the subjects taught at Hogwarts. Maybe dividing magic into unrelated subjects was wrong and they should be taught more interdisciplinary.

Spleen's place was soon occupied by Prof. Slughorn, who had an unhappy looking Harry Potter in tow.

"Severus, my boy," started Slughorn, "I don't think I have ever seen you so sociable before."

Neither had Draco. He assumed that had it not been for their mission, his godfather would have spent the day sulking in a corner and docking points for any improper behavior. But he was a Slytherin, and if he wanted something, he would get it.

"I was just talking to Harry about Potions. This fourth year Gryffindor and Slytherin class is one of the best I have ever taught. Some credit must, of course, go to you. You have taught them for three years, after all."

Snape scowled in Draco's direction. Draco found the whole thing quite amusing. Neville knew everything he knew about Potions from Draco. Draco had learned everything from Snape. So Slughorn had been quite right in his assessment.

"You should have seen Mr. Longbottom's Shrinking Solution, Severus. I don't think I've ever had a student produce a finer, not even you and Lily."

A sharp intake of breath could be heard, although Draco wasn't sure whether it had been Snape or Harry. Snape had grown tense and Harry's attention was solely on him.

"Snape and... Lily...? As in - my mother? Lily?" asked Harry finally.

Draco looked at Neville in alarm. That was the type of conversation neither Harry nor Snape were quite ready for.

"Ah, so Severus never mentioned this before? Typical."

For a Slytherin, Slughorn had a surprising lack of self-preservation.

Draco looked frantically around the room. He had to stop Slughorn somehow.

"Horace," Snape hissed.

"They were Potions partners," Slughorn started, ignoring Snape.

Draco met the eyes of Astoria and mouthed, "Help."

Astoria nodded her head.

"The best Potions team I have ever had the pleasure to teach-"

"Professor," Astoria interrupted him, appearing next to Draco. "What a wonderful party." She smiled at him and for a moment he seemed distracted. Astoria turned her attention to Potter. "Harry, Ginny's been looking for you."

Harry looked uncertainly from Slughorn to Snape and then to Astoria, before his gaze finally rested on Snape.

"It would be rude to leave your date all on her own all night," Draco added. "Right, Professor?"

"Indeed," mumbled Slughorn, "Mustn't keep your enchanting lady friend waiting." Quite solemn now. Maybe his brain had finally caught up with his mouth.

Harry reluctantly left the group.

"Speaking of being rude - I think I still owe my date a dance," announced Draco.

Astoria nodded excitedly and the two of them left the group behind them, dancing to the sound of the Weird Sisters.

"Thanks," Draco said, once they were out of hearing range.

"You are very welcome," she replied. "What exactly was I interrupting?"

"Slughorn unraveling the deepest, darkest secrets of Severus Snape," said Draco earnestly.

Astoria chuckled. "That bad?"

"For a Slytherin, Slughorn seems rather oblivious to... uhm social cues."

"He seemed rather talkative today. More so than he usually is. But I've seen him drink quite a bit of the elder flower wine."

"Hmmm..." So, alcohol made Slughorn spill all his secrets? Maybe Draco could use this to his advantage. As far as he knew, Harry hadn't been able to coax the real memory out of him so far.

But that didn't matter right now. Right now he wanted to enjoy his date with Astoria and not worry about some ominous mission for Dumbledore.

"What did Snape want from you?" she asked.

"He wanted me and Neville to meet Prof. Spleen."

"The guy who sometimes writes for the Prophet?"

"That's the one." That's why Draco had thought he had heard the name before. Prof. Helbert Spleen doubled as an advice columnist for the Daily Prophet, answering questions which related to health.

"Why, though?"

Astoria and Daphne had been quite understanding concerning Draco's and Neville's secretive behavior so far. But he knew they were curious and that they would at some point demand answers.

"That... is Neville's secret. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Astoria said, trying to hide her disappointment. "It's nothing bad though, right? He isn't sick or anything?"

"Don't worry," Draco replied. "It's nothing bad. It is quite the opposite. Something wonderful, if it actually works. But it's still something that he'll need to tell you and I'm not sure if he's ready for that."

Astoria nodded her head. This explanation seemed to be enough. For now.

Soon the tension was forgotten and they danced and laughed and had fun.

At midnight, everyone counted down the seconds. Slughorn had enchanted the ceiling so it looked like they were all outside, and as soon as everyone yelled "Happy New Year" the ceiling erupted in fireworks.

Draco had chosen that moment, to kiss Astoria. A sweet kiss that left him quite woozy.

"Happy New Year," he whispered. If the first seconds of the new year were anything to go by, 1995 would be an amazing year.

Then the whole Slug Club sang Auld Lang Syne.

Draco and Astoria kissed and danced some more, before the party was over.

Draco saw Harry waiting for everyone else to leave. He kissed Astoria goodbye and walked over to Harry.

"I know what you want. Let it be," Draco said, once he reached the other boy. "We have more important things to focus on. Slughorn's quite tipsy. If we play it right, we might be able to get the memory Dumbledore wants."

Harry looked bitter, but nodded eventually. "How do you want to do this?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. But he is drunk, talkative and won't remember anything come morning - I doubt your chances of getting that memory will ever be greater than now."

"Professor," Draco said loudly once everyone was gone, filling a glass with Firewhisky and handing it to their teacher, "leave the cleaning to us. You've already done enough, organizing this marvelous party."

"Thanks," hiccuped the Professor, grabbing and downing the drink.

While Draco and Harry cleaned the office, Harry started chatting with Slughorn. "So, you taught my mum?"

Draco glared at him, but Harry ignored him.

"Yes. Fr'm her first t' last year," replied Slughorn.

"How was she?"

Draco wasn't quite sure what Harry was getting at, but he was glad he wasn't talking about Snape.

"You don't know?" Slughorn asked. "She was wonderful. Best witch her age. Kind, intelligent... brave... you really don't know?"

"Not really. Everyone always tells me about my dad... No one ever talks about her and... she died before I could get to know her. I was only one, you know."

Draco felt a little uncomfortable and busied himself with cleaning the tables.

"You don't remember... do you?" Slughorn asked in a hushed voice.

"No. But I've found out pretty much what happened since. My dad died first. Did you know that?"

"I — I didn't," whispered Slughorn.

"Yeah... Voldemort murdered him and then stepped over his body toward my mum," said Harry.

Draco shuddered. _Way to kill the mood, Potter._

"He told her to get out of the way," said Harry remorselessly. "He told me she needn't have died. He only wanted me. She could have run."

"Oh dear," breathed Slughorn. "She could have... she needn't... That's awful..."

"It is, isn't it?" said Harry, in a voice barely more than a whisper.

"But she didn't move. Dad was already dead, but she didn't want me to go too. She tried to plead with Voldemort... but he just laughed..."

"That's enough!" said Slughorn suddenly, raising a shaking hand. "Really, my dear boy, enough... I'm an old man... I don't need to hear... I don't want to hear..."

"You liked her, didn't you?" Harry suddenly asked.

"Liked her?" repeated Slughorn, "don't 'magine anyone who met her wouldn't have liked her... Very brave... Very funny... It was the most horrible thing..."

"But you won't help her son," said Harry. "She gave me her life, but you won't even give me a memory."

"Don't say that," Slughorn whispered. "It isn't a question... If it were to help you, of course... but no purpose can be served..."

"It can," said Harry clearly. "Dumbledore needs information. I need information. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will return. Sooner than you think. And I am the Chosen One. I have to kill him. I need that memory."

Slughorn turned paler than ever; his shiny forehead gleamed with sweat.

"He will return?" gulped Slughorn "But then... my dear boy... you're asking a great deal... you're asking me, in fact, to aid you in your attempt to destroy —"

"You don't want to get rid of the wizard who killed Lily Evans?"

"Harry, Harry, of course I do, but —"

"You're scared they'll find out you helped me?"

Slughorn said nothing; he looked terrified.

Draco had stopped moving. And breathing.

"Be brave like my mother, Professor..."

Slughorn raised a pudgy hand and pressed his shaking fingers to his mouth; he looked for a moment like an enormously overgrown baby.

"I am not proud..." he whispered through his fingers. "I am ashamed of what — of what that memory shows... I think I may have done great damage that day..."

"You'd cancel out anything you did by giving me the memory," said Harry. "It would be a very brave and noble thing to do."

And then, he did. Slughorn gave Harry the memory.

"Thank you very much, Professor."

"You're a good boy," said Professor Slughorn, tears trickling down his fat cheeks into his walrus mustache. "And you've got her eyes... Just don't think too badly of me once you've seen it..." And he too put his head on his arms, gave a deep sigh, and fell asleep.

Draco stared at Harry with an open mouth. Harry just shrugged his shoulders.

"I think the hat made a mistake," Draco finally said. "You clearly belong in Slytherin."

Harry smirked. "The hat actually suggested that."

Draco coughed a few times. He did not expect that. At all.

"What a day," Draco finally sighed. Even for a time traveler who had seen it all before, the world was still full of surprises.

"I'll give the memory to Dumbledore after breakfast," Harry said.

"I'll be there."

The cleaned up the rest of the office, threw a blanket over their professor, and went their separate ways.

TBC

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review to let me know what you think.

Some lines are taken from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Recommended work: I drew some inspiration for this chapter from _So Much for Secrets_ by Ariels Lament, a brilliantly awkward oneshot in which good, old Slughorn talks a bit too much at the Christmas party.


	60. Chapter 60

Thanks for all the lovely reviews. Each and everyone of them makes me so incredibly happy.

acciovader I am procrastinating so much it's horrible. Everyday I sit down in front of my computer and tell myself to write all day but then I don't... I do hope Snape is not OOC or anything. But we only see Snape through Draco's eyes and they get along fine, so I don't see much reason to portray him as the person JKR portrayed him as. Harry also doesn't hate him as much as he does in the original timeline, because Snape helped Sirius, he didn't get Lupin fired and he didn't get Sirius killed.

EvieXIX Thanks :) Good point. I (and Draco) kind of neglected Astoria and her curse a bit with everything that has been going on. There will be a bit about her curse and her relationship with Draco in the next chapter.

tobidragneel117 The chapter in which Neville confronts Draco is my favorite. There are some other parts in the story where he has to make morally questionable choices (eg obliviating Crabbe and Goyle) which show that doing the right thing is not always so straightforward in a world that isn't just black and white. There will definitely be more moments like these in the future chapters.

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

"Ah, good morning, boys," greeted Dumbledore agreeably the next morning as soon as the duo had entered his office. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We got it," Harry beamed, waving the vial with Slughorn's memory in front of Dumbledore's face.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and a small smile graced his lips. "Spectacular news. I knew you could do it."

Dumbledore took the vial, hurried around his desk and made for the Pensieve.

"And now, we shall see." With that he poured the contents into the Pensieve and motioned the two boys to follow him.

All three entered the Pensieve.

The first thing Draco noticed once the world stopped spinning, was a much younger version of Slughorn. Had his still thick and shiny hair and mustache not given his identity away, his demeanor most certainly would have. He was sitting in the comfortable winged armchair in his office, his feet resting upon a velvet pouffe. He had a glass of wine in one hand, the other was rummaging in a box of crystallized pineapple. The whole situation screamed Slughorn.

The scene was familiar, and not just because Slughorn hadn't changed all that much over the years. Dumbledore had shown Draco and Harry this memory at the beginning of the year. Only, this was the real, untampered memory.

A couple of teenage boys were sitting around Slughorn. A boy, who Draco correctly identified as Tom Riddle, was sitting in the center. Draco studied Riddle. The first time he had watched the memory he had focused on the overall going ons, but now he had time to observe the scene with all its details. Riddle looked smug. He seemed to be the leader of the group of students who were sitting around him. Draco's eyes fell on a gold–and–black ring on Riddle's finger.

"Headmaster," breathed Draco, as soon as he felt the wizard appear next to him. "The ring," he whispered.

Dumbledore just nodded his head and motioned Draco to observe the scene unfolding in front of them.

"Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?" Tom asked the younger version of Draco and Harry's Potions Professor.

"Tom, Tom, if I knew I couldn't tell you," said Slughorn, wagging his finger reprovingly at Riddle, though winking at the same time. "I must say, I'd like to know where you get your information, boy, more knowledgeable than half the staff, you are." Riddle smiled; the other boys laughed and cast him admiring looks. "What with your uncanny ability to know things you shouldn't, and your careful flattery of the people who matter — thank you for the pineapple, by the way, you're quite right, it is my favorite —" Several of the boys tittered again. "— I confidently expect you to rise to Minister of Magic within twenty years. Fifteen, if you keep sending me pineapple, I have excellent contacts at the Ministry." Tom Riddle merely smiled as the others laughed again.

Draco rolled his eyes. This was such typical Slughorn behavior.

"I don't know that politics would suit me, sir," he said when the laughter had died away. "I don't have the right kind of background, for one thing." A couple of the boys around him smirked at each other.

"Nonsense," said Slughorn briskly, "couldn't be plainer you come from decent Wizarding stock, abilities like yours. No, you'll go far, Tom, I've never been wrong about a student yet."

And he wouldn't be, Draco thought bitterly.

The small golden clock standing upon Slughorn's desk chimed eleven o'clock behind them and Slughorn looked around. "Good gracious, is it that time already? You'd better get going, boys, or we'll all be in trouble. Lestrange, I want your essay by tomorrow or it's detention. Same goes for you, Avery."

One by one, the boys filed out of the room. Slughorn heaved himself out of his armchair and carried his empty glass over to his desk. A movement behind him made him look around; Riddle was still standing there. "Look sharp, Tom, you don't want to be caught out of bed out of hours, and you a prefect . . ."

"Sir, I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away, then, m'boy, ask away. . . ."

"Sir, I wondered what you know about . . . about Horcruxes?" Slughorn stared at him, his thick fingers absentmindedly caressing the stem of his wine glass.

"Project for Defense Against the Dark Arts, is it?"

"Not exactly, sir," said Riddle. "I came across the term while reading and I didn't fully understand it."

Harry was staring at Draco during that part of the conversation. Perhaps he was wondering how Draco ever learned about the Horcruxes.

"No . . . well . . . you'd be hard-pushed to find a book at Hogwarts that'll give you details on Horcruxes, Tom, that's very Dark stuff, very Dark indeed," said Slughorn.

"But you obviously know all about them, sir? I mean, a wizard like you — sorry, I mean, if you can't tell me, obviously — I just knew if anyone could tell me, you could — so I just thought I'd ask —"

He sounded so hesitant and casual. Just enough flattery to get wanted, but not so much that it became obvious what he was doing. The Dark Lord at work. It wasn't too surprising that so many people would follow him later. He had a way with words, getting people to do exactly what he wanted them to do.

"Well," said Slughorn, not looking at Riddle, but fiddling with the ribbon on top of his box of crystalized pineapple, "well, it can't hurt to give you an overview, of course. Just so that you understand the term. A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul."

"I don't quite understand how that works, though, sir," said Riddle.

"Well, you split your soul, you see," said Slughorn, "and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But of course, existence in such a form . . . few would want it, Tom, very few. Death would be preferable."

"How do you split your soul?"

"Well," said Slughorn uncomfortably, "you must understand that the soul is supposed to remain intact and whole. Splitting it is an act of violation, it is against nature."

"But how do you do it?"

"By an act of evil — the supreme act of evil. By committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: He would encase the torn portion —"

"Encase? But how — ?"

"There is a spell, do not ask me, I don't know!" said Slughorn, shaking his head like an old elephant bothered by mosquitoes. "Do I look as though I have tried it — do I look like a killer?"

"No, sir, of course not," said Riddle quickly. "I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to offend . . ."

"Not at all, not at all, not offended," said Slughorn gruffly. "It's natural to feel some curiosity about these things. . . . Wizards of a certain caliber have always been drawn to that aspect of magic. . . ."

"Yes, sir," said Riddle. "What I don't understand, though — just out of curiosity — I mean, would one Horcrux be much use? Can you only split your soul once? Wouldn't it be better, make you stronger, to have your soul in more pieces, I mean, for instance, isn't seven the most powerfully magical number, wouldn't seven — ?"

"Merlin's beard, Tom!" yelped Slughorn. Harry looked just as shocked as Slughorn. Dumbledore seemed rather composed. "Seven! Isn't it bad enough to think of killing one person? And in any case . . . bad enough to divide the soul . . . but to rip it into seven pieces . . ." Slughorn looked deeply troubled now: He was gazing at Riddle as though he had never seen him plainly before, and Harry could tell that he was regretting entering into the conversation at all. "Of course," he muttered, "this is all hypothetical, what we're discussing, isn't it? All academic . . ."

"Yes, sir, of course," said Riddle quickly. "But all the same, Tom . . . keep it quiet, what I've told — that's to say, what we've discussed. People wouldn't like to think we've been chatting about Horcruxes. It's a banned subject at Hogwarts, you know. . . . Dumbledore's particularly fierce about it. . . ."

"I won't say a word, sir," said Riddle, and he left, smiling a smile that made Draco's skin crawl.

The memory seemed to have come to a close.

"Let us go. . . ." whispered Dumbledore.

When Harry and Draco landed back on the office floor Dumbledore was already sitting down behind his desk, a stern expression on his face.

Harry and Draco sat down as well.

"Seven Horcruxes?" Harry breathed, breaking the silence.

"Six," corrected Draco. "If he wants a seven-piece-soul he needs six Horcruxes."

"Oh, thanks," Harry groaned, "that's infinitely better, of course."

Draco rolled his eyes. The situation wasn't ideal, he had to admit, but it's not like they had to start at square one. "Don't be like that. We've already destroyed three. That's halfway done! That means the Dark Lord is already half dead."

"Half dead? You do mean half immortal. Which, you know, still means completely immortal."

"Didn't know you were such a pessimist," Draco laughed. Personally, he found knowing the number of Horcruxes quite reassuring. Now he knew why Dumbledore had needed that memory. An end was finally in sight. Three down, three to go. One of the remaining ones was a snake. So only two mystery Horcruxes left. And here they at least had hints. Objects of great significance, possibly related to Slytherin or Gryffindor in some way.

"I agree with Mr. Malfoy," said Dumbledore. "I have been hoping for this piece of evidence for a very long time. It confirms a theory of mine... This piece of information might enable us to destroy Voldemort before he even returns."

Draco noticed that all the portrays had stopped whatever they had been doing to listen in on their conversation.

"Since when exactly did you have this theory?" asked Draco.

"Ever since your second year," answered Dumbledore.

"The diary?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore nodded his head. "It first planted the idea of Horcruxes in my head. I did not see the Riddle who came out of the diary, but what you described to me, Harry, was a phenomenon I had never witnessed. A mere memory starting to act and think for itself? A mere memory, sapping the life out of the girl into whose hands it had fallen? No, something much more sinister had lived inside that book. . . . a fragment of soul, I was almost sure of it. The diary had been a Horcrux. This theory was, of course, later confirmed," at that he glanced in Draco's direction.

Draco's head was spinning. What exactly had happened during Potter's second year?

"But even when I first learned about the diary I was certain that if it had indeed been a Horcrux, it could not possibly been his only one. The careless way in which Voldemort regarded this Horcrux seemed most ominous to me. It suggested that he must have made — or been planning to make — more Horcruxes, so that the loss of his first would not be so detrimental. I did not wish to believe it, but nothing else seemed to make sense."

"I still don't see how this helps us," said Harry. "We now know for certain that Voldemort is crazy, but we still don't know what the other Horcruxes are. And they could be anywhere - hidden, buried, invisible,..."

"While we might not know anything specific," Dumbledore agreed, "but we do know how many Horcruxes we have to find. And we know that Voldemort valued historic artifacts, preferably ones that at one point belonged to the Founders of Hogwarts. Voldemort would not put his precious soul in a tin can. The objects we are searching for bear some semblance of significance. And he hid them in significant places. I believe, from this, we might be able to make some educated guesses."

"Educated guesses," Harry repeated.

Draco didn't mind so much. The diadem and the cup had been educated guesses. And he had formed another while he had watched Slughorn's memory.

"The ring," Draco almost jumped out of his chair. He had nearly forgotten about it again.

"What ring?" asked Harry and Dumbledore just smiled knowingly.

"The one Riddle was wearing in the memory. I know a thing or two about family heirlooms and that was one if ever I saw one."

"Astute observation, Mr. Malfoy," said Dumbledore. "What you have seen is the ring of Marvolo Gaunt."

"Gaunt?" Draco pondered. "Aren't the Gaunts descendants of Salazar Slytherin?" Who said that pure-blood knowledge was useless?

Dumbledore nodded his head. "And the Peverells. This is most definitely something I will look into. I will let you know what comes of it."

"Is it just me or does Voldemort have a thing for jewelry?" deadpanned Harry.

Draco laughed. "Maybe another aspect we can base our educated guesses on. We already have a ring and a crown, maybe one of the next Horcruxes will be a bracelet or a necklace."

"The Brooch of the Bloody Baron - it's got a nice ring to it," laughed Harry.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement.

"So," Harry sobered up, "if we destroy all six Horcruxes, we will be able to kill him once and for all?"

"I believe so," nodded Dumbledore, "Voldemort will be a mortal man with a maimed and diminished soul. Never forget, though, that while his soul may be damaged beyond repair, his brain and his magical powers remain intact. It will take uncommon skill and power to kill a wizard like Voldemort even without his Horcruxes."

"But I haven't got uncommon skill and power," said Harry, before he could stop himself.

Draco found that he quite agreed. Not that he had anything against the boy anymore, but so far he had survived on what seemed to Draco to be nothing but dumb luck.

"Yes, you have," said Dumbledore firmly, but didn't add any further explanation. "We have covered a lot of ground today. I would like to thank the both of you for your excellent work. I believe I will have to do some research before we can continue our quest."

With that, Dumbledore dismissed the boys.

TBC

Not much happened in this chapter and a lot is obviously stolen from HP and the Half Blood Prince. But the conversation with Dumbledore is necessary and I had more written (this is only half of a chapter) but it got so long that I decided to split it up. Next chapter will feature Draco and Astoria and if that doesn't get too long also some Snape and Harry.

As always, let me know what you think.

Story suggestion: If I Lose Myself - By: EMPG22HoPe - A great canon-compliant Draco/Astoria story, dealing with Astoria's illness and how she and Draco started dating.


	61. Chapter 61

Shame on me, I still haven't finished my diploma thesis and I started writing a Thor fanfiction after watching Infinity War... I am still working on this story, however.

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Soon the new semester began. Professor Grubbly-Plank took over the Care of Magical Creatures class because Rita Skeeter had written a devastating article, which had for once overshadowed the articles about the disappearing muggles and muggle borns as well as the tournament, and which had revealed the parentage of the friendly half-giant to the whole wizarding world.

Draco didn't have much time to ponder this. He had a heavy workload and he had to juggle his Occlumency lessons, his work with Snape and Neville, and his social life.

oooOOOooo

"Hi, Draco," greeted Theodore a few days into the new year.

"Morning Theo," Draco yawned. He slumped down next to Daphne and opposite of Theo at the Slytherin table. "Daphne," he nodded his head in her direction and grabbed a biscuit.

"You going to Hogsmeade today?" asked Theo.

Draco sighed. He had wanted to spend the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year roaming the streets of the village with Astoria.

"No. I think I'll keep Astoria company in the Infirmary."

"What a knight in shining armor you are," Theo laughed.

"Oh, don't listen to him," Daphne entered the conversation, smiling at him. "Tory is lucky to have you."

"Quite the contrary, I'm lucky to have her," he smiled back.

"Yuck," Theo made a face, "ever since you two started dating all that comes out of your mouths is so… mushy."

Daphne smirked. "Jealous?"

"As if," he huffed. But then his face grew more serious. "Astoria does get sick quite often, doesn't she? Is everything alright?"

Draco observed Daphne. She looked a little uncomfortable. "Everything's peachy. She's just a bit on the frail side. Weak immune system. I swear she catches every bacterium that's flying around."

"What are your plans for today?" Draco changed the topic.

"I'm going to Hogsmeade with Neville," replied Daphne.

"Guys," groaned Theo, "I'm really happy for you and everything, but would it kill you to spend some time with your friends? Like, I don't know, me, for example?"

Daphne laughed. "Sorry, Theo. Can't you go with someone else?"

"Who?" he asked, his face serious. "My popularity amongst Slytherins is… subpar. I don't want to give Pansy any ideas and… well, I guess Blaise is alright, but he is not the conversational type. And the Gryffindors… Harry's alright, but he's going with Ginny. And Granger and Weasley have been… weird ever since the Yule Ball."

"What about Krum and his friends?" asked Draco.

"I'll probably go with Johanna and Serge, perhaps I'll ask Blaise to join us. Krum is… I think he said something about going swimming. Weird, those Bulgarians."

Draco laughed. "Tell you what, we'll go together the next Hogsmeade weekend, alright? Just like in the good, old days. But perhaps without Pansy…" he shuddered. "Besides, I'm working on a project that I'll need your help with."

"And what project might that be?" asked Daphne, her arms crossed.

"Plausible deniability, Daphne," smirked Draco.

"Gosh, I hate it when you say that," she growled. "Promise me you'll tell me what not to eat when the time comes."

"Promise," laughed Draco.

oooOOOooo

After breakfast he made his way to the Infirmary.

"Morning, Tory," he said softly. She was laying on one of the beds, her complexion pale and her eyes glassy.

"Draco," she smiled.

"I brought you breakfast," he presented her with some scones, clotted cream and jam. "Couldn't get you any tea, but I got some pepper imps and sugar quills."

"Don't let Madam Pomfrey hear that," she laughed. Then she rummaged through the candy. "I love sugar quills."

 _I love you_ , Draco wanted to answer. But they had only been dating for a couple of weeks. So, instead, he kissed her on her feverish forehead.

"Draco," she giggled, "you're sweet but you really shouldn't do that. I might be contagious."

"What's a little cold if I get to spend my day with you?" Draco thought back to Theo's complaints about how mushy and sappy everything he said had become. Perhaps he was right about that. But dating someone for the first time when you aren't even quite sure how you feel about the other person yet is quite different from dating someone you already know to be the one. And already knowing how it felt to lose that person only amplified the feelings involved.

Astoria blushed. "I'm sorry we couldn't go to Hogsmeade today. You don't have to stay here just because of me."

"Nonsense. I'd rather be here with you than in Hogsmeade without you. And you don't have to apologize for getting sick."

"But I get sick all the time."

Draco wondered whether she already knew about the blood malediction and just didn't want to tell anyone or whether she didn't know about it yet.

"I don't care," Draco said.

"I just don't want to be a burden to you," she said. "I'm already such a disappointment for my family. I get sick all the time and I _know_ they worry, even if they pretend they don't. And then I get sorted into Ravenclaw…"

That was an argument they had had often in the other time line, especially when she was sick. Then she would feel insecure and often talk about her worries.

"Don't say that. I'm sure your parents are proud of you, Ms Best-Potions-Student-of-her-Year. I know your sister is. And a house is just a house. It doesn't have to mean anything."

"I don't think there are many people who think like you do." She smiled at him.

Draco felt like he didn't deserve the compliment. It had taken a war and the love of one great witch to change his views on the whole matter. "To be honest, I wouldn't be like that if not for my friends and you. Honestly, on my own I'm quite the git."

Astoria laughed. "You're not a git, Draco."

Draco looked at her and suddenly he felt a mourning for the older Astoria, the one that had known everything about him and had still loved and accepted him. "Don't say that... you don't know... what I've done..." He felt a sudden, stupid urge to tell her everything, even if it would end up ruining their relationship. He knew Astoria liked him, but she didn't know the real him. How could she love him if she didn't even know him?

"Draco..." Astoria began, sounding quite solemn, "I've always had the feeling that you've done something or seen something... even before we first met... I don't know what... but I assume it must have been bad. Your quite prone to trouble, after all..." she smiled at him. "But, you sometimes have this... I don't know how to say this... dark aura around you. Sometimes, when no one looks, you look so sad and so..." she waved her hands in front of her, trying to put a feeling she had about him into words, "full of remorse. It's like a dark cloud is surrounding you."

"A-"

"Shh," she stopped him from interrupting her, and gently placed a hand on his cheek. "You feel remorse," she repeated, apparently deciding that it was the right word to describe her observations. "I think, no matter what you did, that is the important part. That is what makes you a good person. There is nothing you could have done or will ever do that would make me think any less of you... You don't have to tell me what is bothering you," judging by the conviction with which she said this, she had given this a lot of thought already, "I don't want to push you. I just want you to know that whenever you feel ready to talk about it, I'm here for you."

That, more than anything, calmed his troubled heart. This was his Astoria. Even though she was younger, she had the same heart and believed in the good in people. An older version had uttered words similar to those, although perhaps more eloquently put. Draco knew, when the day came where he would tell her all of his secrets, she would understand. He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek.

They spent a few hours together, before Madam Pomfrey decided to throw him out of the Infirmary.

oooOOOooo

Draco felt wonderful.

A surprising side effect of dating Astoria had been that he could sleep better than he had in years. At night he'd often lain awake for hours, worrying about the decisions he'd made, whether he'd be able to improve things or if he'd made everything worse, and missing his son. But now that they were together again, he knew that everything would be fine and that he would see Scorpius again one day.

He also had fewer nightmares.

Things were definitely looking up.

oooOOOooo

Or not.

Draco had been on his way towards Snape's office a few days later. He had wanted to discuss his DADA homework. But before he reached the door, he could hear someone yelling, a smash, and then saw Potter running towards him. He strode right past Draco, pale and shaking.

Draco opened the door to his godfather's office carefully, peeking inside. Snape was standing beside his Pensieve, seething, and looked like he was ready to kill someone, so Draco slowly closed the door again and fled the scene.

This was probably none of his business.

Unsurprisingly, the universe decided to make it his business.

 **TBC**

A.N. I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know with a review ;) I felt like Astoria and Draco needed some development before Voldemort returns and Draco's focus shifts to the war. Next chapter will have some interaction between Draco and Harry and after that we'll reach April and the Easter holidays.

Story suggestion: A Conversation with Snape by Snarky64 – Remus tries to convince Snape to continue Occlumency lessons after Harry looked into Snape's Pensieve.


	62. Chapter 62

Happy anniversary, guys. As of today (May 28, 2018) this story is officially one year old :)

I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed, followed and/or favorited my story. I went through all of the reviews again and they all made me smile. You are amazing, guys. Thank you for all the support. Every time I get an email telling me about someone who likes my story, it makes me incredibly happy. They inspire me and keep me going. I have had a couple of stressful months and I know the ones to come will not be any easier. Sometimes a few nice words are everything it takes to turn someone's day around.

Enough with the feelings. Have fun with chapter 62 of _A Slytherin Through Time_ :

 _Draco had been on his way towards Snape's office a few days later. He had wanted to discuss his DADA homework. But before he reached the door, he could hear someone yelling, a smash, and then saw Potter running towards him. He strode right past him, pale and shaking._

 _Draco opened the door to his godfather's office carefully, peeking inside. Snape was standing beside his Pensieve, seething, and looked like he was about to kill someone, so Draco slowly closed the door again and fled the scene._

 _This was probably none of his business._

 _Unsurprisingly, the universe decided to make it his business._

"Can you talk to him?" Hermione Granger asked, the next morning. She was standing beside him, her hands on her hips, her head tilted to the side.

Draco blinked a few times. "I am supposed to talk to Potter about his problems? Have you gone mental? Who do you think I am?" He pushed his porridge away from him, turning around on his seat to face her.

It was the last thing he had expected when Neville and Granger had approached him this morning in the Great Hall, that they wanted him to have a heart-to-heart with Potter.

"Draco, please," Hermione went on, "he hasn't talked to any of us since his Occlumency lesson yesterday and he seems to be pretty upset. He is hiding in the Room of Requirement and doesn't want to talk to any of us."

"You're his friends, if he doesn't talk to you, why would he talk to me?" When had everyone's problems become his problems as well?

"You are his friend, too," Neville argued and Draco raised an eyebrow at that. "Don't give me that look. You can deny it if you want, but it's true."

"Et tu, Nev? I still don't get why he would talk to me if he isn't talking to you."

"I don't know," Neville admitted, "but you have a knack for this type of thing and you're good at mediating between Snape and the rest of the world. If you can make me get along with him, Harry shouldn't be a problem."

Draco groaned. "Urgh - fine. But I'm telling you, it won't work."

Hermione's face lit up. "Thank you, Draco."

Draco reluctantly made his way towards the Room of Requirement, leaving his half-eaten breakfast behind. He had had this thought several times before, but never quite reached a satisfying conclusion: Where he and Potter really friends? Sure, they did not hate each other anymore, and they spent a lot of time together and helped each other out every once in a while... but friends?

Maybe it was easier for the others to see, because they had only seen them as enemies for a little less than three years. But Draco had a whole lifetime of animosity he remembered, so the concept of being friends with Potter seemed far more outlandish to him.

It must have been that Quidditch match in their third year, Draco concluded right before he reached the Room of Requirement. He had saved Potter's life and now everyone thought they were friends.

Surprisingly enough, wanting to talk to Potter alone allowed him to find and open the door and he soon stood inside a dark and gloomy room. Once his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Draco could make out Potter. The boy was cowering in a corner, looking crestfallen.

Draco sank down next to him, not saying anything.

It didn't take long and the talkative Gryffindor told him everything that had happened. How Snape had left the room during their lesson, how he had looked inside the Pensieve,...

"You did what?" Draco almost yelled. "Do you have any idea how disrespectful and intrusive that was?"

"Don't you think I know?" Harry snapped. In his defense, he did look miserable. "I don't know what I was thinking. He's always so mean to me and he is hiding something and - I don't know, I am an idiot. I thought I might find out more about my mum."

Seeing the young boy so devastated sparked some resemblance of fatherly feelings deep inside of Draco. The sadness that accompanied the thought of his own son he squashed down. "What exactly did you see?" Draco rarely felt like the grown up he was, but whenever scared or sad children were involved, he felt a need to protect them that was uncommon for children.

"Uhm-" Harry fidgeted. "I am not sure..."

"It's okay," Draco mumbled. "If it's really that bad I guess it's good if you keep it to yourself. Respect his privacy at least to some degree..." Draco mused. "But I doubt it's something new to me. I know him pretty well, you know." All the horrible things Harry could have seen flashed before Draco's inner eye. His home life, perhaps. Definitely something that would disturb the Boy-Who-Lived. Or the Shrieking Shack incident. Or maybe Snape joining the Death Eaters. If he had seen that, things were over and Draco would never be able to get them to get along.

Harry considered this. Finally, he started to talk. "I- I saw a younger version of him. End of fifth year. He... he had an.. uhm... altercation with my father and his friends..."

Draco groaned. He knew quite a lot, more perhaps than he wanted to, about the relationship between Snape and the Marauders. At least it weren't any memories of torturing muggle borns. "There is a reason, you know, why Snape and Sirius hate each other so much."

"I know now," Harry said bitterly. "And you know what? Snape has every right to hate them! They were horrible! Bullies! They targeted him, humiliated him, just because they felt like it!"

Draco looked at Harry who was shaking now. _That_ was what he was upset about?

"I know how it feels, you know? I know how it feels to be humiliated in the middle of a circle of onlookers. It happens to me all the time. It happened when everyone thought I was the evil heir of Slytherin. It... it's basically what's happening this year... I know exactly how Snape must have felt. And by the looks of it, my father was every bit as arrogant as Snape has always told me!"

Draco was rather surprised. He'd thought Harry was upset because of what happened between him and Snape, but he had apparently been wrong.

"Harry," Draco started, not quite sure what to say. "Maybe you shouldn't judge your father solely on what you've seen in the Pensieve. It is only a snippet of the life he lived, seen through the eyes of an enemy. And he was only - what, 15?"

"I am 14 and I know better! And I know it's just a small piece of my father's life and that I didn't see everything that had happened between them before that... and Merlin, I know what a prick Snape can be, but no one, not even an enemy, deserves to be treated like that. He didn't do anything to them. He was just minding his own business, and they attacked him. Because they were bored. Snape was defenseless and outnumbered and they humiliated him in front of the whole school for no good reason. No matter what he did before, or after, no one should treat anyone like that."

Harry took a few deep calming breaths.

"You are a better person than most," Draco finally concluded. Better than even adult Draco would ever be. Similar to Astoria, Harry seemed to be able to see the good in everyone and he seemed to have a great capacity for forgiveness.

Harry shook his head. "I keep wondering whether he would have bullied me had we been in school together. If the hat had put me into Slytherin... I am pretty sure I would have hated my father, had we been in school together. He was-"

"Just like me?" Draco interrupted Harry. It hurt, but Draco knew it was the truth. He had been an arrogant bully in his school days. And he knew that the arrogance and vindictiveness of his past were still somewhere inside of him.

Harry didn't say anything and looked away.

Draco sighed. "I've been just like that during our first two years here. People change, you know."

"You never told me why, though," Harry said. Apparently, Harry had still not tired of this line of inquiry.

Draco snorted. Stubborn Gryffindors. "Probably never will, either. But we get along now, right?"

Harry nodded his head.

"So if I can change, so could your father, right?"

Harry nodded again. "It's just... I have never known my parents and everyone has always told me what wonderful people they had been. It's all I know of them and now I find out that it's all been a lie. And my mother, she hated him. I saw it. How come she married him? Did he force her?"

Draco sighed again. "Harry... I am sure your parents loved you and each other. They died for you. They both gave their life so you could live. Maybe they weren't the overall perfect, wonderful human beings everyone talks about. They made mistakes, just like everyone else, but they were good people."

Some of the tension left Harry, but he seemed resigned. "And what about Sirius? He is still like that."

"He's pretty pigheaded," Draco admitted. "But I'm working on it."

That made Harry chuckle and he looked a little better.

"I'll try to help you on that front."

"I think they could be great friends, Snape and Sirius, if they didn't hate each other so much."

"You think?" Harry furrowed his brows.

"They are so similar. They are both quite clever and incredibly stubborn." _They are also both full of regret and quite lonely_ , Draco's mind added.

Harry laughed.

Draco smiled. "Maybe you should talk to them. Sirius and Lupin, I mean."

"I will," Harry said, but then new worry filled him. "But what about Snape? He hated me before, but now? I think they need to create a new dictionary entry to describe just how much that man despises me."

"What did he do when he found you in the Pensieve?"

Harry looked embarrassed. "He grabbed me real hard, and shook me, and he threw a jar of dead cockroaches at me. And he ended our Occlumency lessons."

Draco frowned. "Snape should not have done that."

"I need those lessons! I was making good headway lately."

"Talk to him. And for Merlin's sake, apologize."

Harry looked rather pale, but didn't argue. "He'll kill me."

"He'll do that either way. But if you apologize you'll at least die with your conscience clear."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Thanks," he muttered, "that's helping."

Draco laughed. "If Neville can make peace with him, so can you."

Harry smiled at Draco, but then his expression darkened again. "I think Prof. Slughorn made a mistake. In the memory I saw... Snape and my mum did not get along at all." Draco felt like Harry wanted to say more, but didn't.

"None of your business," Draco sighed, "but as far as I know, they had a falling out at some point during their time at school."

Harry nodded his head. "Not all that surprising, I guess," he sighed, "considering they were in different houses and everything."

Draco closed his eyes, thinking about all the pain that could have been avoided if people were able to put aside their prejudices. "We can only try to learn from the past," he finally said.

TBC

This chapter and Harry's thoughts reminded me a bit of Back to the Future. "Writer and producer Bob Gale conceived Back to the Future after he visited his parents in St. Louis, Missouri after the release of Used Cars. Searching their basement, Gale found his father's high school yearbook and discovered he was president of his graduating class. Gale had not known the president of his own graduating class, and wondered whether he would have been friends with his father if they went to high school together." (wikipedia on Back to the Future)

I love how in the books, Harry does not enjoy seeing Snape's memories at all. He hates Snape but still resents seeing him humiliated and suffering. No "Schadenfreude" there. I doubt many of the other characters or people in general would react like that if they saw an enemy struggle like that.

There's been a lot of talking in the last chapters... Hope you still enjoyed it though. Let me know in the reviews.

The next few chapters will have more action, promise ;)


	63. Chapter 63

**Life update** : First of all, I am truly sorry for not updating in such a long time (and I realize that I start all my chapters with such an apology now). But I have finished my diploma thesis (I got the Austrian equivalent to a B) and on July, 5th I had my diploma exam. I passed and am now officially done with university (forever). I thought I would get to post a lot during July but well, I seem to get even less time to write now. I've been travelling all of August (2 weeks of Japan, 2 weeks of Germany, Netherlands and Belgium) and now had a few seminars and conferences. On Monday the rest of my life started. I now work as an English as a foreign language, psychology and philosophy teacher. More stress, but also more stability in my daily schedule. I won't promise anything, but I'll try to write regularly.

Secondly, another reason why this has taken so long, we are finally getting closer to the end. I started this story as kind of a stress relief and as a way to beat writer's block. I think I mentioned it in the first chapter. I am a bit of a perfectionist, and always felt like I needed to plan out the whole plot before starting to write, and I should write most of it before posting anything. But that attitude kept me from writing and posting anything at all. So I started this story. It did not have to be good. I just wanted to write and post and have fun, because I do love writing. With the first few chapters I had no idea where this was going. Once I got the idea of saving Sirius and having Draco befriend Neville (For the longest time the word document I write this in was named "Draco and Neville's badass time travel story") I had a rough plan for the first 43 chapters. We can call that phase one, I guess. Phase two is then year four up to this point. Again, I had no real idea where I was heading (I know the last chapters, but had no real plan of how to get there) and maybe the story dragged a little and lost its focus (I hope not too much, though). But the things that happened were necessary. (I could have skipped a lot, I guess, but the Yule Ball just happens in year four and I could not ignore it...). This is the last of phase two. A bit of fun to celebrate the story, the characters, and my graduation. After that, it's pretty much the final countdown. Still, about 20 chapters probably, but everything that will happen from now on has a clear purpose. So I am stuck at planning every little detail again. All the loose ends need to be tied up, Draco needs a plan, Dumbledore needs a plan, Voldemort needs a plan. A lot of plot, a lot of action, a lot of emotions.

I hope you'll enjoy chapter 63, the last of phase two. It is a bit of a metaphorical preview of what will happen in phase three, although, perhaps not in any way you can guess. As always, I am happy to hear your thoughts.

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

"Do we have everything?"

"Hmm… let me check…" Fred, standing in the middle of the empty Hogwarts kitchen, leaned over a table, examining the items scattered there, "Puking Pastilles? Check. Headless Hats? Check. Portable Swamp? Check. Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder? Check. Wildfired Whizz-Bangs…" he grinned devilishly, "check."

"Don't forget the Canary Cream," George mirrored his mischievous expression. "Tomorrow will be legendary."

"They will write books about this day," Fred added, his eyes wild.

"No one will remember this as the year of the Triwizard Tournament. Instead, the people of Great Britain will remember this year as the year of the biggest, most spectacular,…"

"Most remarkable," Fred continued.

"Most magnificent prank fest…"

"In the history of pranking," they finished together.

A small popping sound drew their attention away from the items on the table and to the corner of the room. A small creature with bat-like ears, wearing a tea-towel apparated into the kitchens.

"T-Tibby is sorry to interrupt s-sirs. Someone i-is coming," the house-elf hiccupped.

Fred and George looked at each other in alarm, before Fred started to throw the items on the table into a backpack.

George meanwhile turned back to Tibby. "Thank you, Tibby."

The house-elf squeaked and then disappeared with another pop.

With practiced ease, George cast a disillusionment charm on two cauldrons that were bubbling in the corner of the room.

The next moment, the door swung open and Draco walked in.

"Ah- uhm, Draco, what a pleasure to see you," George started, slightly relieved it was not a teacher that had decided to pay them a late-night visit.

Draco raised an eyebrow at them.

"Here for a little smooching session with your lovely little lady?" Fred asked, wiggling his eyebrows. "It saddens me deeply to inform you that this hiding place is already occupied." Fred's face fell when Astoria entered the room behind Draco, glaring at them.

"One of these days," Draco muttered darkly, "I will have to kill you both."

"If I don't beat you to it," added Astoria.

Fred and George laughed.

"But seriously, what is this?" George asked, examining the two new arrivals. "Is it a party? One we weren't invited to?"

"Not quite," laughed Draco.

"We just wanted to see what you guys are up to," supplied Astoria, walking closer to the backpack on the ground, trying to peer into it.

George gave it a kick, so it was out of sight under the table.

"Up to? Us?" the twins answered in unison, their expressions innocent.

"I don't know what you could possibly mean," Fred said.

"So… no nefarious plans for tomorrow?" Draco asked, walking into the direction of the disillusioned cauldrons.

"Not the slightest idea what you could be referring to," George replied innocently.

"No exploding toilets? No portable swamps? No speaking another language after eating lunch?" Draco prompted.

"We've never done any such things," Fred sounded affronted, but his eyes gave away his amusement.

"Great ideas though, thanks," George added, grinning.

"Sooo… tomorrow will be a day like any other?" Astoria asked, looking rather skeptical.

Fred and George looked at her but kept an eye on Draco who was still standing too close to the invisible cauldrons for their liking.

"The first of April," she added.

"Ah, yes," George said. "I wouldn't know of any special occurrences tomorrow."

"Me neither," nodded Fred.

"Neither do I," Astoria smiled sweetly. She reached for an apple in a fruit bowl, accidentally pushing the bowl off the counter, which hit the ground with a loud smashing sound and burst into pieces, leaving the apples rolling around on the ground.

"Oi," yelled George, startled at the crashing sound.

"What are you doing?" Fred asked, getting his wand out and casting a quick "Reparo," on the bowl. Pieces of porcelain flew through the air, finding each other like pieces of an intricate puzzle, putting themselves together at the point of impact. The apples stopped midmotion, began to roll back and hopped into the bowl.

"You have to be quiet if you are out after curfew. What if a teacher heard that?"

"Oh dear," Astoria said, picking the repaired bowl up and putting it back on the counter, "I am so clumsy sometimes."

Fred and George looked at each other. Something smelled fishy, and it wasn't any of the food in the kitchen.

"Just to be clear," Draco walked up from behind them, "there is no reason not to enjoy any of the food in the Great Hall tomorrow?"

"Of course not," Fred grinned.

"I won't be electrocuted again if I eat my toast?" Draco probed with a raised eyebrow.

"Electrocuted is a strong word, don't you think?" George grinned. They had indeed miscalculated the amount of potion needed for the slight shock they had intended.

"Rrright," drawled Draco, still looking skeptical.

"Nothing to worry about. Eat as much as you want. It will taste just like it always does and won't kill you, promise," Fred smiled sweetly.

"We wouldn't lie to you," George added. And technically they weren't lying. The food would still be perfectly edible, after all. Tasty as well.

"Alright," said Astoria. "Why are you two here then?"

"Midnight snack," Fred supplied, without missing a beat.

"We were hungry," George added.

"Right," drawled Draco, first examining them and the lack of food on them, then turning his attention to Astoria. "We'll be leaving you to your _midnight snack_ , then."

"We apologize for doubting your intentions," Astoria said, smiling. "Good night."

"Night," muttered George and Fred simultaneously.

Once the intruders were gone, they looked at each other.

"That was weird," George finally voiced what they both had been thinking. "Very fishy."

"Definitely dodgy," agreed Fred. "Do you think there is any chance they really just wanted to check whether we weren't up to anything? As if there has ever been a time where we weren't..."

"Could be. But Draco's sly… and don't underestimate the little Greengrass. I don't know. They definitely know that we are up to something."

"Better keep an eye out for them tomorrow."

George nodded in agreement.

They turned their attention back to the two cauldrons.

Once made visible again, Fred said, "I'll put some more rat spleen into the shrinking potion."

But as soon as he did that, the potion's color turned from green to blue, and exploded, covering the twins in light blue slime.

"That shouldn't have happened," Fred muttered.

"Maybe you put too much rat spleen in?"

"Maybe _you_ forgot the counter clock stir?"

After they had used some cleaning charms, put the cauldrons away, and talked to the house-elves, they decided to call it a night. They trotted back to their common room, dodging the prefect patrols and using a few secret passageways. It was close to midnight when they finally set foot into their common room.

Still very much awake and occupying the common room were Hermione, Ron, Harry and Neville. They were huddled together in front of the fireplace, avidly discussing something.

The twins looked at each other, started to grin, and approached the group, which quickly fell silent once they noticed the twins approaching.

"Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie," they started in unison.

"What would mother say if she knew ickle Ronniekins were up at this ungodly hour?" George finished.

Ron just glared at them. "She'd know you were up as well, if you told her."

The twins looked at each other again, before they both shrugged.

"Any plans for tomorrow?" asked Hermione ingenuously.

"Why is everyone so interested in our affairs, all of a sudden?" Fred wondered aloud.

George leaned over to Hermione, and whispered, "ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies."

Hermione huffed in annoyance. She turned to the rest of the group. "Good night boys, see you tomorrow," she said lightly. Then she turned to the twins. "Night."

The rest of the group dispersed as well.

"Where have you been?" groaned a sleepy Lee Jordan from behind his closed curtain the moment Fred and George entered their dorm.

"Around," answered George mischievously, throwing their backpack into a corner.

Lee just groaned. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

The twins just shrugged their shoulders.

Fred put on his pajamas and disappeared behind the curtains of his bed.

"Lee, can you turn off the light?" George asked, once he had put his on and had thrown himself onto his bed.

When no response came, George groaned, "Fine, be that way," and made for the last burning candle himself.

He fell asleep instantly, a smile on his face, thinking of the spectacular day that lay ahead of them.

oooOOOooo

"Wakey, wakey," whispered someone next to Fred's ear the next morning. He opened his eyes to look into eyes that could have been his own.

"Happy birthday," he murmured, rolling over and closing his eyes again.

George was not happy with that reaction. With a hard shove his brother landed on the ground.

"Hey!"

"You've had enough sleep. We have important things on our agenda."

"Right," muttered Fred, getting up from the ground and stretching. Then his eyes twinkled. "Let's open our presents."

"Here," George threw a small parcel at his brother, "mine first."

Fred rolled his eyes, getting out the present he had organized for George and threw it at him. "Same time?"

They both went on to carefully unwrap their presents. They managed to open them at the exact same time, at which a loud bang could be heard, and the small parcels exploded into confetti and glitter, covering both of them head to toe.

They looked at each other, before they both began laughing like maniacs.

"You stole my idea," they mockingly accused in unison, blinking away tears.

"That must be the tenth time in a row," laughed George, shaking his head to get rid of the glitter and the confetti.

The curtains of the bed closest to the door swung aside and a sleepy looking Lee got out.

"Morning," grinned Fred.

"Did we wake you?" asked George innocently.

But Lee looked right past them, put on his clothes, and left the dorm without exchanging a word with the twins.

"What's wrong with him?" growled George.

Fred shrugged. "Maybe he is still mad we got back so late yesterday."

George nodded his head and looked around the room. "Where are our presents?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," George explained, "usually when we wake up on our birthdays there are tons of presents lying around."

Fred also looked around the room. "Maybe they are in the common room?"

"Probably," agreed George. "Let's go and check it out."

Still in their pajamas they went to the common room, which was already full of people. But just like in their dorm, no presents were in sight.

"Weird," muttered George. "Do you think they forgot?"

"How could they?" Fred answered. "They are usually hiding from us till the worst of the pranking is over. And they definitely remembered yesterday."

"Maybe they want to turn the tables this year and prank us."

"By hiding our presents? One should think they could do better after living with us for a few years."

"Oh, seems like not everyone has forgotten us," George said, pointing at Ron, Neville and Hermione, who were walking towards them.

"Good morning, Ronnie," they greeted in unison, but the trio ignored them.

"Apparently they haven't just hidden our presents, they are ignoring us as well."

"Jerks," huffed Fred, but his expression was more concerned than angry.

The trio came closer and closer and did not seem intent on stopping. Only by jumping aside could the twins avoid being run over by them.

"What the hell!" yelled Fred, who had landed roughly on the ground.

"Hello!" yelled George into the room but got no reaction. "Fred?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't think they are ignoring us."

They looked at each other. "What do you mean? That they… can't see us?"

They looked around the room, then again at each other. "We are invisible," they concluded at the same time.

"Bloody…" George started.

"Brilliant." Fred finished, grinning at his brother.

They ran back to their room, grabbed their backpack and without caring for actual "daytime clothes" sprinted down to and then out of the Gryffindor common room.

They soon arrived in the Great Hall.

"You sure they can't see us?" Fred asked.

"Positive. We are standing here in our PJ's and no one is even looking our way."

They grinned at each other mischievously. "You know what that means?"

"That we don't need the house elves to get the students to eat the Canary Creams and Puking Pastilles?"

"Oh, not just that, brother," grinned George, "no one is off limits today."

"You don't mean..."

"Yes," grinned George. "The teachers."

They tiptoed towards the High Table and carefully put some of their Canary Creams on a plate filled with real custard creams.

Both Snape and McGonagall reached for them. It must have been Snape's year-long potions experience that made him look skeptical as soon as he had one in his mouth, but that did not save him. Within seconds Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape were gone, and in their stead sat a very perplex looking huge canary and next to it the probably most murderous looking canary in the history of birds.

At first no one noticed, but soon someone from the Hufflepuff table had seen and yelled, "look at the Head Table." Poor boy would spend the rest of his life in detention with Snape.

First the hall fell silent. Then it erupted in laughter. Fred and George almost fell over laughing.

"We should have made some that turn people into bats," George commented, once the laughter had died down and the shouting from the now turned back Professors had started. "We could call them Bat Biscuits... or Greasy Dungeon Bat's Gourmet Dolly Butterscotch."

They spent the rest of their morning pranking. They used all of their Puking Pastilles and Canary Creams on students in the Great Hall, turned the Entrance Hall into a huge swamp and made it impossible for the students to flee to their dorms by using Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder in the hallways.

By the time lunch came around, they had run out of things to do. They sat and ate at an unoccupied part of the Gryffindor table, close to Ron, Hermione and Neville. The three of them were discussing the second task, which had seen Harry as the clear winner when he had saved their sister Ginny just a few weeks earlier. Very few people were in the Great Hall, most too afraid to eat anything.

"What do you think caused this?" George asked, while eating his soup.

"Maybe the screwed up potion from yesterday? Maybe we confused the cauldrons and it was the Polyjuice that exploded? Instead of taking on the form of another we took on the form of nothing."

George considered this. "Makes sense. But why can we still see and hear each other?"

Fred shrugged his shoulders. "We were both covered at the same time, maybe that's why. What I'd like to know is why no one seems to be missing us?"

"Wait-What?"

"It's not just that people can't see and hear us. That could be explained in a number of ways. Maybe we confused the potions, maybe the potion did not react well to the disillusionment charm,... But why is Lee not wondering where we are? Why are the teachers not looking for us when we are clearly skipping classes? It is our birthday, shouldn't Ginny and Ron at least remember and look for us?"

George stared at his brother. "What if we didn't make ourselves invisible? What if we turned us into ghosts?"

Fred gulped. "You think we might be dead?"

George grew paler and paler. "It is... a possibility. Maybe the explosion killed us?"

"But why then is no one mourning us? Shouldn't they be mourning us? I'd be mourning us."

George scratched his chin. "Maybe we made it so we were never born? I heard that has happened to some who experimented with time travel. Or perhaps we traveled into a parallel universe in which we don't exist?"

Fred looked at his brother in horror. "But how? We definitely did not experiment with time travel. And parallel universe? Really? Have you been reading those books Lee always leaves lying around?"

George shrugged his shoulders. "But what then? Either of the potions could not possibly have caused this..."

Fred shot up. "Unless someone messed with it."

George's gaze hardened. "A possibility. Do you think... Draco? He and Astoria did behave kind of funny..."

Fred looked at his brother but did not say anything.

"Okay, let's not jump to conclusions. He couldn't possibly have known what we were brewing and what to add for this to happen and all of that in a few seconds. And why would he do this to us?"

"I could think of a few things..." Fred admitted, remembering what was now commonly referred to as the "electrocution toast". "But spontaneously altering a potion like that? I doubt even Snape would be able to do that."

"Perhaps it was Snape." They briefly entertained that thought, more out of fun than any actual merit to the idea.

"I doubt anyone, even a highly-skilled 7th-year would be able to pull something like that off."

"An accident then? Astoria did throw over some stuff close to the potions."

"You know - the more I think about it, the more I believe it wasn't the potion at all. Lee still talked to us when we got back to our room, and that was hours after the explosion."

They both exhaled in frustration. At first their predicament had seemed like fun, but it quickly started to lose its appeal.

"Let's try to establish contact," George finally suggested.

Fred nodded.

They first approached Lee and Angelina, who were just leaving the Great Hall together.

"I can't wait for this year to be over," Angelina muttered. "No quidditch - who came up with this torture?"

"What should we do?" Fred asked over their conversation.

George just shrugged, so Fred reached out and put a hand on Angelina's shoulder. She flinched and swirled around.

"What is it?" Lee asked.

"I- I don't know. I thought someone had touched me. Probably just my imagination."

They continued walking.

George sprinted into the Great Hall and returned with a plate.

They began to use their fingers to spell HELP on the wall, but they only got to HEL before Lee saw the message and shrieked. Lee and Angelina looked at each other, before they hurried off, their faces pale as if they had seen a ghost.

Snape walked by the wall and, upon seeing the letters on the wall, put an innocent Hufflepuff in detention for besmirching school property.

"Well," George started, "this did not go quite as expected."

"Really now?" Fred asked in annoyance. His good mood now completely gone. "Let's go back to the Great Hall."

They stood close to the Slytherin table, where Draco was talking to his Slytherin and Durmstrang friends. There were hardly any other students in the Great Hall anymore.

"Oh, look what a great time everyone is having," George growled when the table burst into laughter at a joke Serge had told. "And we don't even get a birthday party because no one remembers us!"

"Look at us!" he yelled, grabbed a glass pitcher from the table and smashed it to the ground.

Daphne sprang up shrieking and the rest of the table also looked quite shocked. Everyone, everyone except for Draco, who was laughing his ass off.

"Oh, that little Slytherin weasel," George growled.

Soon after that, all of them got up and left the Great Hall.

"Let's follow them," the twins said in unison.

Unlike they had expected, the group did not make their way down to the dungeons.

"Where are they going?" Fred asked.

"Looks like they're heading for... the Room of Requirement?"

A recent discovery by the twins, but one they had quickly grown fond of.

And indeed, a door materialized in front of Draco and his friends.

Unexpectedly, they left the door open behind them. Fred and George looked at each other. It was dark behind the door and the whole situation was quite suspicious. In the end, they followed them.

The room was too dark to see anything at first. But then what seemed like a thousand candles lit up, a chorus of "Suprise!" could be heard and they were covered in confetti.

"What the-?" Both of them asked in unison. They were surrounded by their friends and classmates. Mostly Gryffindors, but also a few from other houses and the other schools.

Harry Potter materialized in front of them, holding robes in his hands. "You should change into these," Harry grinned and gave them the clothes, "no one else can see you."

Fred and George, although perplex, did not question Harry and went behind a drawer. They changed quickly.

Once they stepped back into the middle of the room, everyone applauded, laughed or wished them a happy birthday.

"What is going on here?" asked Fred, looking at Harry and Draco.

"A prank," laughed Harry, "It's our gift to you."

"All of this... was a prank? That we thought we had accidentally nihilated our own existence and that no one could remember us... a prank?"

"Uhm... yeah."

"Bloody," Fred began.

"Brilliant," finished his brother, grinning. "Best birthday gift ever."

"How did you do it?" Asked George.

"Well, Draco got the idea from your Headless Hats," Harry replied.

"They are exceptional magic, really," Draco said, stepping forward. "The bending of light and sound waves… absolutely brilliant. It was quite hard to figure out how you did that - we actually needed a lot of help with that - and how we could make it so it would cover you both- actually, you two and Harry. We needed someone to keep tabs on you and he was the logical choice with his Invisibility Cloak. Once we had figured out how it worked, Neville, Ron and Lee put the charm on your PJs while Astoria and I were making sure you wouldn't return too early."

"I kind of expected the joke to only last an hour... I really thought that at some point you would put on real clothes," laughed Astoria.

Fred and George grinned sheepishly.

"And everyone was in on it?" George asked.

"Well, almost," said Neville. In the background, Angelina glared at Lee. "Some we just told you weren't going to be here today and that they shouldn't worry about that or any weird stuff going on today."

Fred and George nodded their heads appreciatively. "You should have been a Gryffindor, Draco," Fred said.

"Because I like pranking? I am pretty sure Salazar himself invented the prank. You guys should be in Slytherin."

"I think you should have all been Ravenclaws," laughed Astoria.

"Enough of that," complained Ron, "we have cake and butterbeer and pumpkinjuice."

Fred and George laughed. "Best birthday ever," Fred smiled.

They all sang Happy Birthday, ate cake and celebrated deep into the night.

TBC

A very fun chapter to write (which I mostly did on planes and trains while traveling). Hope you enjoyed it. Next one will be focused on Draco again and it will be the beginning of Easter break, which will start a very exciting (mostly not the good kind of exciting, though) period in Draco's life.


	64. Chapter 64

If you have looked at my profile you might have noticed that I started to update it regularly with my writing progress, so you guys can just go there and check if you want to know how far along I am with a new chapter.

As always, read, enjoy and review.

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Soon after the twins' birthday, the Easter holidays arrived and Draco and Neville found themselves in Snape's office.

"Alright," started Snape, looking at the two boys in front of him. "I have already owled Prof. Spleen the finished potion-"

"Owled?" interrupted Neville, ignoring the glowering from their Professor. He was too excited to be scared. He had been a bundle of nerves over the last days before the Easter break, a fact which had increasingly grated on Snape's nerves.

"5 points from Gryffindor for interrupting a teacher," sneered Snape, "And yes, owled. It is a delicate potion. Merlin knows what sending it via the Floo network would do to it."

Neville nodded.

"And what are the potions on the table for?" Draco asked, motioning towards to vials on the table.

The corners of Snape's lips twitched into a crooked smile. "Polyjuice."

"Polyjuice?" repeated Draco.

"Mr. Longbottom, your parents and I were acquaintances at school and, I must admit, not on the best of terms. I believe it to be beneficial to our cause to not alert them to my presence and involvement for the foreseeable future."

They both nodded their heads, although Draco suspected that that was not the only reason for keeping his presence secret for now.

"Why two vials?" Draco asked.

"The other is for you," Snape said, "unless you want your parents to know of this... field trip?"

"Ehm, no," Draco laughed nervously, "I'd rather they didn't."

"Alright," nodded Snape. He took one of the vials and drank it all in one go. Judging by his facial expression, the taste was not all too pleasant. A few seconds later, it was no longer Snape standing in front of them, but a man with short blond hair, green eyes and freckles.

Draco did not recognize the face, and did not want to know where Snape had gotten the hair. He reached for the other vial, which shimmered orange and did not smell all that bad. He gulped it down and felt his body shiver. Once transformed, Draco walked over to a mirror and studied his new reflection - or rather glared at it.

"You look like a Weasley," Neville commented, and indeed, he did. Red hair, green eyes and freckles.

Draco sighed. Not his favorite hair color, but as a disguise it would work.

"So what should I call you?" Neville finally asked.

"Septimus?" Snape offered after thinking it over for a few seconds.

"Not very creative," Draco chuckled, "but close enough in case we mess up. Then I'll be... Darian."

Neville nodded, repeating the names a couple of times so he would not forget. "Okay," he finally said, turning towards the fireplace, "this is it."

Draco put a hand on Neville's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "It will work."

Neville gave him a nervous smile.

Snape handed each of them some floo powder.

Draco went first.

"St. Mungo's," he said, his voice steady. He threw the powder and stepped into the green flame, letting it engulf him. A few seconds later he emerged from another fireplace, stepping right into the crowded reception area of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. There were what seemed to be hundreds of witches and wizards, sitting on rickety wooden chairs, waiting to be treated. Some of them looked perfectly normal while they read their out-of-date copies of Witch Weekly, while others sported gruesome disfigurements.

All not unusual for Draco, who had been to St. Mungo's a few times already, visiting sick relatives or attending charity galas his parents had been invited to. What was, however, unusual, was that the hall was strangely quiet. This part of the hospital was usually alive with noise that reminded one more of a busy market than a hospital. The only sounds that could now be heard were coming from those who could not prevent them, like one wizard who roared like a lion, or another who could not help but hiccup every ten seconds, releasing soap bubbles every time he opened his mouth.

Looking around some more, the absence of the usually buzzling atmosphere made more sense to Draco. Many of the injuries seemed to have been caused by others.

Hogwarts was rather isolated and students only knew of what was going on in the real world through newspapers and the letters from their families. The violence and bloodshed of an approaching war were something abstract. Something that the newspapers mentioned, something that shocked them every morning when they read about it, but something that otherwise did not affect them. But here, the signs of civil unrest were omnipresent. Usually the patients were caught in magical accidents, but now the majority of the wounds seemed to stem from malevolent curses and jinxes. Paranoia was running high as well. Only very few Death Eaters and supporters of the Dark Lord were known by the public, so no one knew on whose side the person sitting next to them was.

Having barely moved after stepping out of the fireplace - mostly to take in his surroundings - someone crashed into him and he stumbled to the ground, landing at the feet of a wizard in lime-green robes. He almost yelped when he looked up and scrambled away from the feet in front of him, backing into Neville, who had been the cause for his fall.

Draco had immediately recognized the healer in front of him.

"Watch out, boys," the wizard with dark blond hair and piercing blue eyes said. His tone was not unfriendly, but it still made Draco shiver. _Gibbon_ , he thought _, a Death Eater_.

"Sorry, sir," replied Neville, unaware of who he was talking to, and helped Draco to his feet.

Behind them appeared Snape in disguise. He avoided Draco's gaze and nodded in the man's direction, then put his hands on the boys' shoulders, steering them away from him and towards the Janus Thickey Ward.

Draco tried to not look at anyone directly. He recognized several more supporters of the Dark Lord among the healers. No wonder the mood was so… weird.

He ignored the queasiness he felt and thanked Merlin – and Snape – for his disguise. He could not bare thinking what would happen if his parents found out what he was doing.

"Mr. Longbottom," the delighted voice of an older healer, which Draco recognized as Prof. Helbert Spleen, the healer he and Neville had met at Slughorn's Christmas party, could be heard. He had been talking to someone, but now walked towards them, a friendly smile on his lips.

He looked at the blond man who was Snape, "Severus, I presume?"

"Septimus," Severus replied, nodding in his direction.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Spleen whispered, leaning down towards Draco.

Draco nodded and smiled. For a second, he thought he saw Lockhart roaming the hall, but his attention was soon focused elsewhere, when an old lady, the person Spleen had just been talking to, approached them, or rather marched towards them. Although she was tall, thin and bony, she was surrounded by an intimidating aura of confidence, which made the people in her way jump aside to let her pass. She wore a familiar-looking hat with a stuffed vulture on it and carried a bright red handbag.

Draco risked a glance in Snape's direction. The potion's master eyed Augusta Longbottom with a nasty look on his face, and Draco had to pretend to cough to keep from laughing out loud.

"Neville," she said sternly, "what is going on here?"

Neville gulped. "Uhm-"

Neville's eyes darted towards the others. Spleen shrugged apologetically. "As a healer it is my duty to inform the legal guardians of my patients of any planned changes in treatment."

"Changes in treatment?" Augusta asked.

"Not out here," Mr. Spleen said, leading them away from the busy hall and into Frank and Alice Longbottom's room.

Even though the room had sunshine streaming in through a window, Draco thought that the atmosphere was rather gloomy. Upon entering, his eyes fell on a woman standing in the middle of the room. Her face was thin and worn, her eyes seemed overlarge and her hair, which had turned white, was wispy and dead-looking. Alice Longbottom looked nothing like Draco had imagined. Neville had shown him photos, but those had been taken long before the fateful day that had changed their lives forever.

"Can someone explain to me what is going on here?" asked Augusta impatiently. "Neville, who are these people?"

"This is- uhm- Sn- Se-"

"Septimus Fleming," Snape said, stepping forward and shaking Mrs. Longbottom's hand. "Potions master, specialized in healing."

Augusta looked wary, but greeted him politely. Then she turned her gaze on Draco. "And who are you? Are you the friend from school Neville has been talking about in his letters? I do not think I ever got your name."

"Darian," Draco answered, glancing sideways at Neville, who was concentrating on his shoes.

"Lovely to meet you. But why are you here? Can someone explain," Augusta urged.

With "Misses Longbottom," began Helbert Spleen's long explanation of their plans.

Draco's attention wandered from Spleen to the other occupant in the room, which he hadn't noticed earlier.

On the bed at the far end of the room sat a man. He had his back turned and was staring out of the window. Frank Longbottom's frame was as thin as that of his wife, his hair just as white. And had he turned around, Draco was sure, his eyes would have been just as empty and unfocused as hers.

Their appearance sent shivers down Draco's spine. He had mentally prepared to encounter Neville's parents, had known what the Cruciatus Curse had done to them all those years ago. But nothing could have prepared him for the gut wrenching guilt he now felt, as his mind violently replayed scenes from his last year at Hogwarts. He had used the Curse on his classmates. His Curse had never been particularly strong, but it had worked and he had watched as his victims screamed and cried and fell to the ground shaking violently. He had watched his fellow students torture each other. He had watched his teachers use the Curse as a punishment for supposed "misdemeanors" that couldn't even be called that. He had fallen asleep to the sound of screaming prisoners at his parents manor. He had used the Curse, he had watched it being used, and all the while he had said nothing. For the longest time he thought such actions justified, now he wanted to vomit.

"What do you mean 'no'?!" Neville's loud voice brought Draco back to the present and his attention to the other two Longbottoms in the room.

"No," said Augusta sternly, "and that is final. This treatment has never been tested and might be dangerous. I will not risk your parents' lives and health for something that has never even been tested. The audacity...," Augusta shook her head. She turned towards Prof. Spleen. "How dare you play with other's lives like this? How dare you-"

"He hasn't done anything!" yelled Neville, and Draco was sure he had never heard him this angry before. His anger at Sirius for breaking into the Gryffindor common room and his anger at Draco's use of the Cruciatus on Pettigrew were nothing compared to what he was displaying now. "And what life are you talking about? What health?!"

"Watch your tongue," hissed Augusta.

Draco had anticipated a lot of things that could go wrong with their plan, but he had not thought about the possibility of someone refusing the treatment. He hadn't even thought about the need for a legal guardian's approval.

"How can you just say no?" Neville asked.

"This is not your decision to make. Maybe you are just too young to understand. I love your-"

"Obviously you don't," yelled Neville. "If you really loved them you'd do something! You wouldn't just pass up a chance like that!"

Draco never found out what Augusta's answer to that statement would have been - he sincerely hoped that it would have been a verbal instead of a physical reply - as Helbert Spleen stepped between grandmother and grandson. He put a reassuring hand on Neville's shoulder and turned towards Mrs. Longbottom.

"I understand your worries, Mrs. Longbottom," he started calmly. "I have looked at your son's file. He has been through several expensive experimental treatments and none have led to an improvement in his condition."

Neville, still panting from rage, looked at his grandmother with wide eyes, whereas Augusta just nodded her head.

"Some have caused them immense pain..." she said.

Helbert nodded. "It must have been hard, to invest so much time and energy, only to be disappointed again and again."

"I cannot go through this again," Augusta said. "They sufferd and nothing changed. Perhaps it was selfish of me. They are not unhappy. At least they don't appear unhappy." She glanced at Alice and Frank.

"So that's it?" interrupted Neville. "You have given up?"

"I have not given up," Augusta replied. "But I do not want to hope for something that is impossible."

"So you have given up," Neville repeated. This time, it wasn't a question.

"Do you have any idea how painful this has been for me? The healers have told me again and again that there is nothing that can be done... I did not believe them, at first. I did not want to... But every treatment they tried... they were right."

"Then why do we keep on visiting them?" Neville growled, his hot and explosive anger turning cold and resentful.

"What?"

"Why do we keep on coming here, if there is no hope? They don't recognize us and they never will. We might as well stay home and forget about them."

"Neville!" His grandmother sounded shocked. "How can you even..." she trailed off, searching for the right words. Just then Alice approached them.

She seemed like a ghost, the way she looked, but when she reached Augusta, she stretched out her hand, and when Augusta extended her own hands, Alice dropped what looked like a candy wrapper into them.

"Thanks, dear," Augusta mumbled, seemingly forgetting about their fight for a moment.

"You know," Neville said, "you keep on telling me that I have to throw them away, but I know that you keep yours as well."

Augusta gulped and looked at the wrapper in her hand.

"I know how it feels to be disappointed again and again, and how it feels to lose hope," said Prof. Spleen, entering the conversation again. "My parents were muggles, and my mother died of cancer when I was still very young. In the end, she refused to try any more treatments, because the pain of such treatments was worse than the chance of them working. I cannot guarantee that this will work - and we will not use it if you are against it - but neither the potion nor the legilimancy we are planning to use will cause them any pain."

Augusta just continued to stare at the wrapper.

"Please," whispered Neville, looking at his grandmother.

Augusta looked from the candy wrapper, to her grandson, and then to Alice and Frank.

"Is it- could it really-?" Augusta Longbottom buried her face in her hands, shaking her head. But when she looked up again, her gaze was determined. "Let's do this."

TBC


	65. Chapter 65

Wow, I thought this day would never come. A solution for Neville's parents was first mentioned in chapter 6, and now, almost 60 chapters later, we'll finally find out if all their work paid off.

I have parts of the next few chapters written already (wrote them a few months ago, actually), so weekly updates (maybe even twice a week, if I am motivated or you guys review a lot) should be no problem for the next ~ 5 chapters.

Read, enjoy and review.

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"Could you stop this?" growled Snape, still in his Septimus Fleming disguise.

He was sitting on one of the beds in the hospital room of Alice and Frank Longbottom. He had his wand in his hand and was intently looking at Alice. Alice sat on the other bed, facing him, but her gaze was unfocused. Had she been staring at a wall, her face would not have looked any different.

Neville, who had been pacing up and down the room, came to a sudden halt. "Uhm- sorry."

Snape ignored him and kept looking at Alice in concentration. Over the last couple of months it had become quite the regular occurrence, Snape ignoring Neville, which Draco, who was standing next to Neville, took as a good sign. Maybe Neville had grown on Snape. Or Snape had simply had enough of Neville in his free time, so he didn't want to spend any more time with him in detention.

Prof. Spleen was standing next to Snape and Alice. He had an empty potion vial in his hands. The content of this vial he had just earlier administered to both Longbottoms, Frank and Alice. Now he was observing them, ready to intervene should anything go wrong.

Augusta Longbottom was sitting next to her daughter in law, holding on to her hand as if her life depended on it. Nervously, she looked from Snape to Alice and back.

Frank Longbottom still sat on his bed by the window, oblivious to the events taking place right behind him.

Snape took a deep breath, and, with a clear voice, cast, "Legilimens."

Draco did not know exactly what Snape was doing. He knew it had something to do with mind healing, a special branch of healing magic that combined healing, legilimency and, strange as it had always sounded to Draco, talking to patients. Oftentimes, mind healers would enter a troubled mind and cast spells that were meant to soothe and heal.

Snape was still staring at Alice, but his brows were furrowed. Whatever he experienced in her mind, it could not be very pleasant.

Alice had straigthened up as soon as Snape had cast his spell. Her eyes had changed as well, although Draco could not quite put into words how. They were clearly focused on something, but on what he wasn't sure.

Draco nearly jumped out of his skin, when nails dug deep into his arm. Neville had grabbed his arm with one hand, the other had wandered to his mouth, where he was biting his nails.

Minutes passed, and everyone grew more restless, except for Alice, Frank and Snape, who did not move at all.

"What's taking so long?" asked Neville.

"It is complicated, very advanced magic. Give them time," answered Helbert, without taking his eyes off Alice.

More minutes passed in absolute silence, and Draco was starting to worry that it hadn't worked, and that maybe Snape's mind was now lost as well.

But then, after what seemed like an eternity, Snape exhaled heavily, and lowered his wand. He seemed to be in his own head again.

Neville rushed forward. "Did it work? What did you see? Did it work?"

"Neville," hissed Augusta, but her gaze was also focused on Snape.

Helbert reached for a glass of water and handed it to Snape, who gulped it down in one go. "Thanks," he muttered. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing..." Snape began, and Draco was sure he had said the same thing to them when they had begun their project. "I can only tell you what her mind looks like right now, at this very moment... and it is hard to verbalize. Like nothing I have ever experienced before. No coherent thoughts. Snippets... it is foggy. More feelings than thoughts... confusion, fear,... sometimes, voices manage to find their way through the fog..." he trailed off, staring into the distance.

"Did it work?" Neville repeated.

"I do not know," admitted Snape after a while. His gaze moved back to Alice. She was still sitting on the bed, posture more upright than it had been since they had entered the room. Her eyes were wide. They did not look so hazy anymore, but maybe Draco was just seeing things he wanted to see.

"Mom?" Neville asked, but got no reaction.

Just when Draco started to believe that it had not worked, she blinked. Once, then twice, then her eyes focused on Snape. She inhaled sharply, and looked at the other occupants of the room.

She frantically moved backwards, until she reached the other side of her bed and fell off it with a loud yelp.

"Mom," Neville took a step towards her, but she scrambled away from him, yelling something unintelligible, and Draco grabbed his arm to keep him from stepping any closer.

Alice's shaking hands started to move up and down her legs, in a motion that reminded Draco of someone searching for his wand. Her eyes then fell on Frank and she let out another yelp, and crawled away from him as well, until she ended up backed into a corner.

"Alice," came the loud and steady voice of Augusta Longbottom.

The voice seemed to cut through Alice's panic, and her eyes darted towards it. "A-Augusta," she stammered, her voice weak and raw.

"Alice, dear," said Augusta, tears in her eyes. She stood up from the bed and moved around it. Then she crouched down next to her, taking Alice into her arms.

Augusta began to cry, holding on to Alice. Alice struggled to get out of her grab, still in a panic, but Augusta's presence seemed to calm her somewhat and she eventually stopped fighting. She slung her arms around her and dug her nails into Augusta's back, staring with still panicked, wide eyes at the other occupants of the room. Her breathing was erratic, but slowly calmed down. Her eyes finally came to rest on Neville.

"Who-who are-" her voice broke off. It was hoarse, like the voice of someone who had not talked in a really long time.

"It's me, mom. Neville."

"But, but," Alice began, looking at him, then at Augusta.

"It is true, Alice dear," began Augusta, letting go off Alice and moving back a little, swiping tears from her eyes.

"Mrs. Longbottom," Helbert Spleen began, "you are at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am Prof. Spleen, a healer. You have been here for 14 years."

"14," mouthed Alice, but no sound left her lips.

Augusta nodded her head. "It is okay. It is okay now."

Alice's eyes moved from Helbert, to Augusta, and then back to Neville. "N-Neville?"

"Yes," he said, his voice hoarse, "it's me, mom, it's me." He took a few steps towards her, and this time she did not move away, so Neville went to the ground as well, and took her into his arms.

"My baby?" whispered Alice, more to herself than anyone else.

"Mrs. Longbottom,"Helbert asked, once they all had calmed down somewhat, "do you think you can stand up?"

Alice looked at him, then nodded. Slowly, with the help of both Neville and Augusta, she stood up. She was a bit shakey on her feet, but otherwise she seemed fine.

"Frank?" she asked, looking at her husband, but he did not react.

"Something happened," Helbert explained, "but we'll explain once we have treated your husband."

Alice nodded her head.

"Are you ready for another go, Sev-"

"Well," Snape hurried to say, interrupting Helbert, "I will most certainly try."

Draco, who had observed everything that had happened in silence, thought that his godfather looked rather exhausted. Definitely more exhausted than he was letting on.

The whole procedure began anew. Frank was led to where Alice had sat earlier, Snape stared at him with the uttermost concentration, before uttering the magic words that allowed him to enter another's mind. Again, Snape's face contorted into something unpleasant.

Draco felt like the whole process dragged on for far longer than the first time.

All eyes were on Frank, when suddenly the doorknob began to turn. The door, however, had been locked by Helbert earlier.

The sound of the door knob was followed by that of a knock. And then another.

"Hello? What's going on in there?"

The unexpected sound of Gibbon's voice nearly sent Alice in another state of panic and let everyone else draw their wands.

Helbert stepped away from Frank and towards the door.

"I am exermining the patients. There is no need to worry."

"Spleen?" replied the voice. "They aren't even your patients. And why lock the door?"

Spleen cursed under his breath. "I'm running some diagnostic tests and did not want to be disturbed."

First there came no reply, and Draco hoped that Gibbon had just left, but then, "patients have complained about someone yelling in there. Open up."

Spleen looked over at Snape and Frank, who were oblivious to what was going on around them.

The moment dragged on, and Spleen neither said nor did anything.

An "Alohomora," could be heard from the other side of the door.

"Shit," mumbled Spleen, before raising his wand in the direction of the door.

TBC

A.N. You didn't honestly think that things would get any easier for Draco and his friends, did you?

I was really dreading this chapter, because I wanted to write it well and I wanted it to be realistic. I thought a lot about how the "illness" they have might work and what real disease or mental illness it could be. In the end I decided that it is an actual brain damage caused by the Curse combined with trauma from the torture...

What did you think of this chapter?

What do you think will happen in the next chapters?


	66. Chapter 66

Now mostly written on train rides ;)

Read, enjoy and review :)

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 _All eyes were on Frank and Snape, when suddenly the doorknob began to turn. The door, however, had been locked by Helbert earlier._

 _The sound of the door knob was followed by that of a knock. And then another._

 _"Hello? What's going on in there?"_

 _The unexpected sound of Gibbon's voice nearly sent Alice in another state of panic and let everyone else draw their wands._

 _Helbert stepped away from Frank and towards the door._

 _"I am exermining the patients. There is no need to worry."_

 _"Spleen?" replied the voice. "They aren't even your patients. And why lock the door?"_

 _Spleen cursed under his breath. "I'm running some diagnostic tests and did not want to be disturbed."_

 _First there came no reply, and Draco hoped that Gibbon had just left, but then, "patients have complained about someone yelling in there. Open up."_

 _Spleen looked over at Snape and Frank, who were oblivious to what was going on._

 _The moment dragged on, and Spleen neither said nor did anything._

 _An "Alohomora," could be heard from the other side of the door._

 _"Shit," mumbled Spleen, before raising his wand in the direction of the door._

* * *

The door burst open, hitting the wall behind it loudly. Gibbon was standing there with two other men behind him. All had their wands drawn.

Gibbon looked at the occupants of the room, his gaze lingering on Alice, Frank and Snape.

"What is going on here?" he asked. He turned towards Snape. "What is he doing with the patient?"

"Healing him," Spleen answered reluctantly, the knuckles around his wand tightening.

Gibbon lowered his wand. "Healing? But that..." he looked at Alice, who stared at him wide eyed. "But that is impossible."

"Apparently not," answered Spleen.

"Fantastic," said Gibbon, taking a step towards Alice, who moved away from him. "Wow. A real reaction. I did not think I would see the day."

"Quite miraculous," agreed Spleen.

"We'll have to run some tests immediately," said Gibbon.

"I am afraid that is not possible," said Augusta. "I will be taking them home with me."

"I would not do this if I were you, Mrs," said Gibbon. "They should be supervised until we can be sure that they have healed properly."

"They have," said Gibbon, "Mrs. Longbottom is feeling fine, am I right, Mrs. Longbottom?"

Alice just looked at him with wide, panicked eyes.

"She does not look fine," growled Gibbon. "And you are not her healer. Whatever experiments you have been conducting, no matter how fruitful, have been illegal."

"I was informed of the treatment and I agreed," said Augusta.

"I am afraid it is not that easy, Mrs. L-"

"DEATH EATER," came a roar from the so far silent Longbottom in the room.

Everyone turned towards Frank Longbottom, who had jumped up. He rushed towards Neville and tore his wand out of his grasp.

"Incarcerous," yelled Frank, his wand pointed at Gibbon. Thin cords shot from the wand, and the next moment, Gibbon was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.

The other two men who had been with Gibbon started to move, but with a swift movement of his wand, Draco sent them flying out of the room. Another wave, and the door was closed and locked.

Frank, meanwhile, had turned around and was now aiming his wand in the general direction of everyone. His eyes were wild and crazy, and they reminded Draco of Sirius' eyes when they had first found him in the Forbidden Forest.

"Who are you? Identify yourself? Are you followers of You-Know-Who?"

"Frank," called Augusta.

That had him momentarily distracted. Long enough for Snape, who had been following the whole ordeal looking rather dazed, to get out his own wand and call "Expelliarmus!" He then lazily caught the wand midair, but kept his own trained at Frank. "Sit," he ordered, and Frank followed the order without question.

"Mother?" he asked, while Augusta threw herself on him, embracing him. He looked around the room, his eyes finally resting on his wife, "Allie?"

Alice just smiled.

"As lovely as this reunion is," Snape drawled, "we have to get out of here."

"Right," agreed Helbert. Noises on the other side of the door were growing louder. Healers and security were probably gathering there. He turned towards Alice and Frank. "We don't have time to explain, but we are on your side. There are Death Eaters out there and we need to get you out of here. We can't apparate out of here and we are on the third floor."

 _Of course there was no easy way out_ , Draco thought. When had anything ever been easy since he came back? "We'll have to fight our way out of here," he finally sighed.

He took the silence of the others as agreement. They could not leave Alice and Frank here. As soon as the Dark Lord heard of their recovery, they would be easy targets, especially with so many followers running around the hospital. And they had attacked one of the healers, more or less keeping him hostage.

"The main entrance and the floo network are out of question, security has them probably locked down by now. Our best bet is the emergency department, the only place in the hospital without any anti-apparation wards." Helbert pondered this for a few seconds. "Out and to the right. The door is locked so prepare to cast as soon as we reach the end of this ward. The stairs are at the end of the hall. We need to get down. On the ground floor we should be able to apprate out of here."

"The children will aparate side-along with me, Augusta will take Frank along and Helbert Alice," Snape ordered. Everyone nodded their heads.

Snape grabbed Gibbon and used him as a human shield as he positioned himself in front of the door. Then he nodded towards Draco.

Draco cast "Alohomora" and the door sprang open.

About ten people were standing on the other side, all pointing their wands at them. When they saw the bound and gagged Gibbon, however, they hesitated.

Snape was ready to attack, but someone else was faster. Augusta was suddenly standing next to him.

"Alarte Ascendare!" she yelled, and the people closest to the door were sent flying through the air.

Snape then sent the rest of them into the wall behind them with a wordless _Everte Statum_.

"Let's go," urged Helbert, dragging the two Longbottoms with him.

They all ran through the hall together, always making sure that Alice and Frank were in their middle.

There were hardly any patients running around the hall. The healers probably evacuated them, Draco thought, or they simply sent them to their rooms.

Draco and Neville went last. They cast _Protegos_ while they ran, but some spells they just couldn't block. Fortunately for them, the witches and wizards following them were more adept at undoing the damage caused by offensive magic than at causing any themselves. Unfortunately, that also meant the hexes they sent their way did not stop them for long.

They were almost by the stairs, when Draco felt a spell hitting him in the back. The impact had him stumbling to the ground.

Neville turned around and his eyes widened in alarm.

Draco felt fine. Which was strange. He got up and kept on running, but the others came dangerously close.

Snape, who had reached the stairs first, let everyone else pass, so he could check that they hadn't lost anyone. Looking at Draco, his eyes widened as well.

That's when Draco noticed the blond hair in the corner of his eyes. "Shit," he mumbled and turned to Neville midrun. "I look like me again, don't I?"

Neville just nodded.

"Fumos Duo!" yelled Snape, once Draco and Neville had passed him, and the hall behind them filled with smoke.

They all sprinted down the stairs.

Once downstairs, Snape cast a quick _Muffliato_. "Where to?" he asked.

Their followers could already be heard coming down the stairs.

"Hyde Park," yelled Augusta.

Snape grabbed Draco and Neville by the shoulder, and the next things Draco knew weren't the white walls and sterile air from the hospital but a warm breeze and a lot of leaves. They were standing outside between some bushes in a park.

"Has anyone seen you?" Snape asked Draco.

"Huh?" asked Draco, still a bit disoriented. Then he remembered that he wasn't in his disguise anymore. "I don't know."

Snape just nodded.

A few seconds later, the other four members of their odd group were standing in the park as well.

A pedestrian had seen them, but Snape cast a quick _Confundo_ and sent him on his merry way. Then he cast _Muffliato_ around all of them.

"Not the best place to apparate to, but the only thing I could think of on such a short notice," Augusta said. She was staring at Draco, holding on tightly to her wand, but not pointing it at him.

"Uhm-" Neville started.

"So, that is why you never mentioned your new friend's name in any of your letters?" Augusta asked.

"I didn't?" Neville asked, scratching his head and looking sheepish. "Well... this is my best friend, Draco Malfoy."

Augusta just stared at him, unblinking.

"A Malfoy?" Frank spat. "The Malfoys are all Death Eaters. Step away from him, Allie." He took a step towards Draco.

"Uhm- no, we are not." Draco took a step backwards. Even though Frank had no wand, it was obvious that he had been an Auror. His aura was definitely intimidating. "I-I'm not," he stuttered.

Neville stepped between them. "He is on our side."

"And which side would that be?" asked Frank.

Neville looked perplexed. This was probably not how he had envisioned his first conversation with his father.

"Frank," chided Augusta, "this is your son you are talking to."

"My son is still a baby," Frank said sharply.

"No," came the soft voice of Alice. She put a hand on Frank's shoulder and he seemed to calm down somewhat.

"Mr. Longbottom," Helbert started, just as he had with Alice, "there has been an accident. You and your wife have been in what could be compared to a comatose state for the last 14 years."

"If this is your idea of a joke, it is not funny," Frank replied coldly.

"Frank," Alice said, "look at us. Look at your mother. I do not know what happened, but I know that the world has changed. And look at... look at our son. Look at his eyes, they are the eyes of our little boy."

"This is ridiculous," he mumbled, but did as his wife told him. He looked at Neville. "This has to be a trick."

"It's not," said Neville.

"It has to be. You are all lying. I did not miss 14 years of my son's life!"

Alice broke into tears, and the way Neville looked, he was close to following her example by now.

"Frank, I know this is hard to believe," said Augusta, "but don't you think he resembles Alice? Can't you see it? And he is using your wand. I am your mother, I would not lie to you."

"It is impossible." Frank closed his eyes, shaking his head vehemently. "No, no, no,..." he whispered over and over again.

For a long time, no one else said anything.

"What kind of accident?" Alice finally asked, looking at Helbert, blinking the last of her tears away.

"The Cruciatus Curse has been used on you for... a very long time. After that you were unable to communicate with anyone. Only now were we able to find a solution for your problem."

Alice shook her head. "I knew that time had passed. I feel like time has passed, but I cannot tell how. I- I felt things... I- I-" she reached for her temple, "my head hurts when I try to think about it. But I know that you," she looked at her son, then reached for his cheek with one hand, stroking it with her thumb," were there. Quite often. You talked to me. I don't know what you said, but I know that you were there. I did not feel so alone then. And you gave me sweets, sometimes." She smiled.

Neville nodded his head. He closed his eyes, leaning against her hand.

"You are my baby," she said, "I can tell."

Neville brought his hand up to cover hers. A tear ran down his cheek.

"Is he dead?" Frank suddenly asked. "Is that bastard at least dead?"

This time it was Snape who answered. "He hasn't been seen for 14 years, but... some people believe he might return one day."

"That man in the hospital," Frank said, "that was Gibbon, a Death Eater. Why is he not in Azkaban?"

Snape gulped. "Not everyone involved was found guilty."

"This is outrageous," said Frank.

"Frankie," whispered Alice, "can't this wait?"

Frank looked up and at his wife. Then at his mother, and finally at his son. He closed his eyes again and started to shake his head.

"We should find another place to talk. And I would like to examine you two," Helbert said.

"We can apparate to my house," Augusta said. "Septimus - if that is your real name - you and Draco are welcome to join us." She turned her gaze on Draco. "You are perhaps not who I would have chosen as a friend for Neville, but you have helped to make this possible, and for that I will forever be grateful."

Draco smiled at her. "Thank you. But I think I will have to be at King's Cross soon. My parents think I am on the Hogwarts Express."

Augusta nodded her head.

Neville gave Draco a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much. None of this would have happened without you."

"You're giving me too much credit. You and Snape did most of the work."

"You know what I mean," whispered Neville, giving Draco a meaningful look.

Draco glanced at the others before smiling at Neville.

They wished each other a good break. Then Draco held on to Snape and they apparated to King's Cross.

* * *

"Draco," he could here his mother's voice from the door. At the station, Snape and Draco had gone their separate ways. Even though Snape had looked exhausted, he, at least to Draco, had appeared... it was hard to put into words, but as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Draco had then hidden until the train arrived and his parents were there to pick him up. Now he was lying in bed, feeling rather happy and exhausted himself.

"Yeah?" he mumbled, already half asleep.

"Can we... talk?" and there was something in her voice that made him worry instantly.

He sat up. "Sure."

His mother came in and sat down on the bed next to him. He would have loved to see her face, read her face, but it was too dark, so he had to rely on her voice to discern what was wrong.

"What happened to you?" she finally asked. It was quiet. A whisper. Uncertain, yet determined.

"W-What?"

Narcissa was quiet for a while. And just when Draco started to believe he had just dreamed her presence, she said, "You have changed." It took her a while, before she continued. "It... Sometimes it feels like you are a completely different person. Sometimes I don't recognize you at all anymore. And it's not just you growing up. That's what I originally thought when you stopped writing me in your third year."

"I've written you letters," Draco interjected. More vehemently than necessary.

"Yes," sighed his mother. "About once a month. Before that you used to write once a week. Elaborate letters. Not..." she trailed off. "Never mind. I knew something was off, but I told myself it's just my boy becoming a man."

Oh dear. Draco felt his heart grow heavy. Of course his mother had noticed something. Neville had figured it out within a year, so why had he thought he could fool his own mother?

"And then you came home over Christmas and it wasn't just that you acted differently. It wasn't just what you did, but _how_ you did it. How you talked, how you walked, how you held yourself..." her voice wavered. "Sometimes I thought you are a different person altogether, using Polyjuice or something."

Draco gulped. Had he really been too occupied to notice his mother's worrying?

"But when I look at you," she brought her hand to his face, "I know you are my son. A mother knows these things."

Draco put his own hand over hers. "Mother..."

"You are my son and I love you. I always will. But I feel like I don't know you anymore."

There were so many emotions in her voice and had Draco been able to see her, he was certain he would have seen tears on her cheeks.

He didn't know what to say, so he pulled her into an embrace.

"I love you, mother."

He could hear a stifled sob. "Oh my baby. I thought it didn't matter. I would just get to know you again and everything would be alright. But now it does matter and it scares me so..." she trailed off and Draco tightened their embrace.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered.

They stayed like this for a few minutes.

Narcissa then took her son's face in her hands and put a kiss on his cheek. "Be save, my darling. I love you. I always will. Don't ever forget it."

And with a last kiss on his forehead, she left the room.

TBC

Inspiration for the second half: A New Beginning by LullabyKnell - a oneshot about a timetravelling Draco from Narcissa's point of view.

Frank is not rejecting Neville or anything, he just has a really hard time accepting that he basically lost over a decade of his and his family's lives... he'll come around :)

Hope you enjoyed this one. Let me know in a review ;)


	67. Chapter 67

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

Narcissa closed the door behind her softly, then hurried down the hall.

"Is everything alright with the boy, dear?" asked a tall, slender witch, running through several portrays and paintings hung along the wall to keep up with Narcissa.

Narcissa faltered in her step. She looked at Belvina Black. That was the question, wasn't it? Her talk with her only son had not led to anything. He had not really answered her questions, she had not really expected him to. But she had had to try, at least. And she needed him to know how much she loved him. That, no matter how much he and Lucius fought and how hard it was for her husband to show how much he cared, no matter how much Draco had changed, he was still their son and they loved him.

She had known something was off about her son for a long time now. Or, perhaps _off_ was not the right word, as this seemed to be the new normal. Perhaps it was just him growing up, but it seemed so sudden. The way he talked, held himself, who he was friends with - could all of this really be explained by... puberty?

She had talked to Severus, several times, but apparently Draco's behavior in school was impeccable.

The thing that worried her most about Draco's sudden change was that he had obviously changed his thoughts about those of lesser blood, leading to a rift between him and Lucius. She knew how her husband thought about these things, how Slytherin had treated those showing different opinions, had seen how the family had treated Andromeda and Sirius, so she never discussed her observations and worries with Lucius. He knew something was different, but he was not as good as Narcissa at deciphering minute details and judging the extent of this change. Their father-son relationship had already suffered because of Sirius, and she did not want it to deteriorate any further. She did not regret helping Sirius, but she would have preferred Draco staying out of it altogether. The Malfoy's family crest might read " _Sanctimonia Vincet Semper,"_ purity will always conquer, and Narcissa might live accordingly, but her own motto would first and foremost always be "family first."

At first, the relationship between Lucius and Draco had been her main concern, but soon it became clear that the Dark Lord would return, and Narcissa's worries increased, taking on a whole new dimension.

"He's had terrible nightmares," Belvina continued. "Poor dear."

Narcissa glanced at Belvina again. During the summer, Narcissa had gotten her a portrait hung in Draco's room, so she could keep an eye on him. She was not proud of spying on her son, but a mother had to do what a mother had to do.

From her bedroom, Narcissa could hear the sound of breaking glass. She hurried along, she did not have time to discuss such matters with noisy portraits anyhow.

Throwing open the door to their shared bedroom, Narcissa walked in on a truly horrifying scene. Lucius was standing by the mirror, which was shattered into several pieces, from his hand was dripping blood. He was wearing his Death Eater robes, the mask carelessly thrown on the ground next to him. His face was pale and his body tense.

"Lucius," she gasped, throwing the door closed behind her and hurrying to her husband's side. She took his bleeding hand into hers and cleaned it from the shards.

All the while, Lucius did not utter a single word, just stared at the broken mirror.

He had been in a bad mood earlier. He had just returned from the ministry, angrier than she had ever seen him before, and she had been scared that it had something to do with Draco again. Then he had been called by the Dark Lord, and the mood he was in now truly frightened her.

"Talk to me," she whispered softly, taking dittany out of a cabinet.

Lucius laughed darkly and shook his head. "I need to talk to Draco," he said.

Narcissa's throat constricted. "I don't... I don't think that's a good idea." Nothing good could come from a conversation held in that state of mind. "It is late already. Whatever it is, I am sure it can wait until tomorrow."

Lucius gulped and closed his eyes. "Tomorrow," he repeated. Then he went to his study, closing and locking the door behind him. It reminded Narcissa of his behavior after the Quidditch Worldcup.

She went to bed, worry keeping her awake for a long time.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, she was alone. Apparently, Lucius had not slept at all.

With a heavy heart she got out of bed, put on her robes and hurried downstairs into the dining room.

Lucius was sitting at the table, reading the Prophet, his face unreadable, his hands clenchig and unclenching into fists around the paper.

Narcissa sat down next to him, a steamig hot cup of tea already waiting for her. She was just taking her first sip, when Draco appeared in the dining room.

Lucius lowered the newspaper, looking up at their son. "Draco," he began, his tone icy, "is it true?" He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Is what true?" Draco asked, defiantly, sitting down.

"Don't be cheeky, boy," snapped Lucius. "Have you helped these... these... blood traitors?" he spat. He threw the Daily Prophet he had been reading in front of his son.

Draco leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, mirroring his father's posture. But his eyes wandered down to the front page of the Prophet.

SCANDAL AT ST. MUNGO'S it read in big black letters. Narcissa had no idea what this was about, but she leaned forward, reading the first few lines of the article.

 _Yesterday afternoon, renown healer Prof. Helbert Spleen broke into the room of two mentally incapacitated patients at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. It has been reported that he and an unknown accomplice have conducted painful, unauthorized experiments on the defenseless patients. When confronted by the personnel, they reacted violently, attacked the healers, and kidnapped the patients..._

That did not sound good, but Narcissa had no idea why that had upset her husband so.

"I don't see how this has anything to do with me," Draco answered his father.

"You were seen there," hissed Lucius, and Narcissa could see her son gulping. So whatever Lucius was talking about, it was true that Draco had been involved, she thought. "You left school with these blood traitors, broke into St. Mungo's to help those who deserved everything they got and then lied to us about everything. And don't think I don't know about your friendship with this... boy." He said the last words as if they were poison.

Narcissa's eyes widened. This was what he had learned at the ministry yesterday and which had enraged him enough to worry Narcissa.

Draco stayed quiet. Narcissa hoped he would stay quiet as to not escalate things.

"Do you denie it? Did you or did you not help these blood traitors?" Lucius repeated his earlier question.

"What if I have?" Draco asked defiantly.

"Don't take this tone with me, boy," growled his father.

"Lucius, Darling-" Narcissa tried to soothe him.

"Stay out of this," he clipped, not even looking at her. "We do not associate with such people."

"Well, you might not, but I do! And there is nothing wrong with them!" Draco replied hotly.

Lucius eyebrows shot up. "Be careful what you say. Surely you don't mean that."

"But I do! They don't deserve to suffer just because they don't think that halfbloods and muggleborns deserve a gruesome death! They are people, too!"

"Draco!" Lucius yelled, standing up and bringing his hand down on the table so hard, Narcissa's cup of tea tipped over and spilled its contents on the table.

"No! You are wrong! About everything! And the Dark Lord is wrong as well. He will fall and if you follow him, he will take you down with him."

Lucius regarded Draco coldly. "Is this your final word?"

Draco looked away, but nodded his head. Then he said what Narcissa feared most, which she knew would set her husband off. "I will not follow him. Neither will I obey you, if you choose to follow him."

Lucius closed his eyes and sighed. "Then you are a blood traitor as well."

Draco flinched. So did Narcissa. "Lucius," she began.

"We cannot have a blood traitor in the family," Lucius continued evenly, ignoring his wife.

"W-What?" Draco stammered, all the rage leaving his body. "Are you... Are you disowning me?"

"L-Lucius, you can't," Narcissa said, her voice wavering, hardly believing what she was hearing. How could things go so horribly wrong?

„Narcissa! He is no longer part of this family and this is final," he bellowed, then turned towards Draco, sneering. „And you, leave our home. You are no longer welcome here. I don't want to see you again."

Narcissa was taken back by his harsh tone. He never talked to her like that. "Lucius, please, Lucius," she pleaded, over and over again, panic taking over. "Don't do this, please." She made a step towards Draco, "my baby," she called, but Lucius put an arm on her shoulder, holding her back. She struggled to get free, but his grip was firm. She began to cry, her hands covering her face, and Lucius put one arm around her in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture.

Draco looked at them for a while. Her baby looked so pale and frightened. Then he stood up and left the manor.

"No," yelled Narcissa through her tears and Lucius hugged her tightly. At first, she let him, because it calmed her down somewhat, but when her rational mind took over again, and with it rage, she struggled free, pushing him away, making for the door.

"Where are you going?" Lucius asked, but Narcissa didn't answer.

He rushed after her, grabbing her arm. "You can't go after him!"

"Let go off me!" Narcissa shrieked, "my baby is out there and I am going after him."

"He betrayed this family," Lucius growled.

Narcissa spun around, glaring at her husband. "No. But you just did," she hissed. "How dare you make such a decision without me? How dare you cast out my baby? If he is no longer part of this family, then neither am I." She made for the door again.

"No," Lucius said, walking past her and standing in the door so she couldn't pass him. "Cissy, please. Let me explain."

Narcissa drew her wand. "Out off my way."

Lucius sighed and stepped aside.

Narcissa hurried past him and outside the manor.

"Draco!" she yelled, but he was no where to be seen. "Draco!" she ran away from the manor, but had no idea in which direction to go. She searched for hours, but couldn't find her son.

When she eventually returned to the manor, Lucius was waiting for her. She felt as if her soul had been ripped apart. She walked right past Lucius, into their bedroom and locked the door behind her.

TBC

Thanks to pepper'n'salt for suggesting a Narcissa POV, I would not have written this chapter this way if you hadn't suggested it :) perhaps not exactly what you wanted but I hope you still enjoyed it.

Hope you all aren't too upset about this turn of events.

Did you like this chapter or do you hate Lucius for what he just did to Draco? Let me know in a review.


	68. Chapter 68

Wow, a lot of very emotional responses to the last chapter. I knew it would be rather unexpected and emotional, but still... But Draco and Narcissa really don't have it easy right now... Well, we'll hear more from Lucius and Narcissa in chapter 70 ;)

Chapter 68 begins with Draco's point of view at the end of chapter 67. Posting early today because half of my students are away on language trips (I wish I could have joined them, but apparently as a new teacher that's close to impossible...) and I don't have much planning to do today.

Read, enjoy and review :)

* * *

Lucius regarded Draco coldly. "Is this your final word?"

Draco looked away, but nodded his head. He felt incredibly light headed. This conversation was not going the way he had wanted it to, but he had always known that he'd have to have this talk with them one day, because there was no way he could even pretend to support the Dark Lord any longer. He had just hoped that there would be more time. "I will not follow him. Neither will I obey you, if you choose to follow him."

Lucius closed his eyes and sighed. "Then you are a blood traitor as well."

Draco flinched, the words cutting deep coming from his father.

"Lucius," Narcissa began, but Draco barely noticed her.

"We cannot have a blood traitor in the family," Lucius continued evenly, ignoring his wife.

"W-What?" Draco stammered. The rage he had been feeling all through the conversation dissipated. "Are you... Are you disowning me?"

"L-Lucius, you can't," Narcissa said, her voice wavering.

„Narcissa! He is no longer part of this family and this is final," he bellowed, then turned towards Draco, sneering. „And you, leave our home. You are no longer welcome here. I don't want to see you again."

Draco numbly watched his mother pleading and crying. There was a buzzing in his head and an emptiness in his heart.

Without thinking, he stood up and left the manor.

At first he walked, barely feeling anything. Realization was slow to come, but once it did it came crushing down on him, the emotions threatening to suffocate him. His body began to shake violently and the tears began to fall and then he began to run.

He ran and ran until he had trouble breathing and couldn't run any longer. He was in the middle of a forest, collapsing next to a tree, he threw up.

He heaved until his stomach was empty, and then some more.

He cried until he couldn't cry any longer. He was cold, sweaty and could barely control his trembling body.

After a while, all energy left him, and he just lay on the cold, hard ground, hugging his knees.

He felt an overwhelming sense of grief. He had always had the love of his family. Family had always come first. No matter how bad things had gotten, no matter the arguments they had, they had been there for him. When the Dark Lord had taken over their home, killed people on their dining table, when Crabbe and Goyle started to turn on him, when his wife had died,... they had always been there for him. But now they weren't. Their love had been conditional. Now that he had defied their expectations, their love was gone and he was alone.

Hours passed and the overwhelming grief and the feeling of hopelessness made room for fear. What would he do now? He had no money, nowhere to stay. How would he afford school? If he didn't go to school, the Dark Lord would surely find and kill him.

It took him forever to gather the energy to think of anything but his inevitable demise. At last, he was able to gather enough energy to think about the next step.

Where could he go now? His Slytherin friends' parents would probably not be too happy to host a disowned bloodtraitor. News traveled fast in their circles.

Neville had probably more important things to do with his parents back - and he didn't even know where he lived.

Sirius was an option, he would surely take him in, but he didn't know how to reach him, they had always used the Floo network to get there. He also couldn't just Apparate into the middle of Muggle London.

Hogwarts would be an option, but thanks to the anti-apparation wards he couldn't Apparate there and the train would only leave in a week.

He contemplated his options some more until a thought struck him: Severus. He was his godfather and that was exactly the kind of situation in which one needed a godfather. He knew where he lived, too. He had been to Spinner's End several times to take care of Snape's house after his death. He didn't have any relatives and the Malfoys were probably the closest thing to friends that he had ever had.

Raw pain filled him, as he remembered standing in the shabby old house with his mother. His parents had been devastated when they had heard of his death, even though they had by then known that he had been a spy for Dumbledore. His mother had been so thankful that he had taken over the task of killing Dumbledore that she didn't much care on which side he had ultimately been on. Harry Potter of all people had joined them in going through the late Potion's Master's things. It had been incredibly awkward.

But Snape was still alive now and so were the wards that protected his house. So apparating there directly was out of question. He had to apparate to Cokeworth and just hope that he would either stumble upon Snape while he was doing his grocery shopping or that his presence would somehow trigger the wards he undoubtedly had in place and let Snape know that he was there.

Draco concentrated on the large Muggle town located in the midlands of England. He tried to remember it with as many details as he could. The identical brick houses, the dirty river and the disused mill with the tall chimney. If Draco had to use one word to describe the town, it would be bleak.

Once he had the picture in his mind, he apparated.

With a loud pop he landed in front of a gloomy looking hotel in the middle of Cokeworth.

He briefly wondered about the Trace and whether apparating would have activated it, but since nothing happened upon his arrival, he just dismissed the thought. He had more important things to worry about.

He wandered aimlessly through the desolate town. The few muggles he encountered, ignored him. Considering he was wearing wizarding robes, he would have expected some curious looks, but apparently the depressing town had sucked all of the energy necessary to be curious out of its inhabitants.

He passed rows and rows of identical buildings, all gray and in desperate need of renovation. He would have wrinkled his nose at that but he knew that this place was infinitely better than sleeping under a bridge, which right now, was his plan B.

He couldn't remember exactly where the house had been, and really, how could he if everything looked the same, but he was pretty sure that he was close. He walked up and down the street until someone grabbed his shoulder and he spun around.

„Draco!" said the surprised voice of his teacher and godfather. "What are you doing here? How did you even get here?"

Draco couldn't help himself - maybe Neville was right and being in the body of a teenager made him one - but he flung himself onto Severus and started to cry.

Severus seemed shocked at first, barely moving, but eventually petted Draco's back while he cried into his chest.

They stood there, rather awkwardly, for quite some time. Once Draco had stopped crying and had somewhat composed himself, Snape put an arm on Draco's back and gently led him into his house. Draco sat down at the kitchen table and Snape made some tea, handing Draco a cup and sitting down opposite of him with his own cup. They both stayed silent for a while, Snape regarding Draco.

Eventually, Snape said, „My wards alarmed me of your presence, Draco. Should I ask you how you got here?"

Draco shook his head. He couldn't really tell him that he knew how to apparate. He was still a couple of years to young for that. „M-my parents... they..." He couldn't finish the sentence. But Snape nodded in understanding. Maybe Lucius had already talked to him about it or maybe it was just the logical conclusion and he had anticipated something like this would happen sooner or later. „Can I... uhm... I was wondering, if I could maybe stay with you?"

Snape raised his eyebrows. „You want to stay here?" he gestured at the old and dusty kitchen.

Draco nodded his head.

„Of course you can. I am your godfather, it's the least I can do."

Draco allowed himself a small smile. Things weren't good, but he didn't have to sleep under a bridge and he wasn't alone. That was something at least.

TBC

Poor Draco, but at least he has his godfather. Did you like this chapter? What do you think will Draco's life at Spinner's End look like?


	69. Chapter 69

Read, enjoy and review :)

* * *

Draco stayed in bed for the rest of the day, in what seemed to be Snape's old room. Snape himself slept in the room that must have belonged to his parents when they had still been alive. Snape was out, "running errands", which probably meant reporting to Dumbledore. Draco didn't have the energy to do anything but lie in bed and lament about his life, dark thoughts taking over. He barely ate anything and didn't talk much either.

Sleep did not come easy that night. He tossed and turned and horrible nightmares followed him all through the night...

Misery. Pure misery. That was what his whole life was. What it would probably always be. That's what he was thinking all night, so it was hard to tell when exactly his memories had ended and the dream had begun.

He had been alone in the bathroom, crying. A regular occurrence at _that_ time.

 _Only two words_ , he had thought. _You can do it_.

His intention was quite clear: to kill. But not Dumbledore. Long before the fateful night on the Astronomy tower he had come to terms with the fact that he just could not do it. So, it was not Dumbledore's life that he had contemplated ending.

"Don't," crooned Moaning Myrtle's voice from one of the cubicles. "Don't… tell me what's wrong… I can help you..."

"No one can help me," he croaked. His whole body was shaking. "I can't do it... I can't… It won't work… and unless I do it soon… he says he'll kill me…" He could not stop the tears from falling.

When he raised his head to study his miserable reflection in the mirror, his blood-shot eyes spotted Potter standing there. And of course, he couldn't let his enemy see him like that. And of course, he got angry. And of course, a fight began.

And when Potter screamed "SECTUMSEMPRA!" everything went incredibly cold and breathing became next to impossible. Everything burnt. His lungs. His throat.

Then Potter's face filled his vision. "You are such a loser," he laughed darkly. "You deserve everything you get and more. It is your fault Dumbledore died," Potter drawled.

"I...," Draco struggled to get the words out,"I didn't kill him."

"No?" Potter's voice sounded taunting. "But you planned to. Tried several times. Nearly killed innocent students while you were still failing miserably."

"You don't know that!" Draco rasped.

"Oh, don't I? I know everything about you, everything you did..." Harry trailed off, kneeled down and pressed his knee into the wound on Draco's bleeding chest.

Unimaginable pain shot through Draco as he fought for air.

"You let Death Eaters into the school! You did not care whether they would kill your friends. You did not care that innocent children might have died," Potter spat, pressing down harder, the pressure becoming unbearable.

"I- I- I didn't have a choice! He would have killed my parents! He would have killed me..."

"Coward," spat Potter. "You are a failure and a coward. Too scared..." Potter shook his head, then looked down at Draco in disgust. "No wonder no one wants you. Not even your mommy and daddy. I should have finished my job, would have done the world a favor."

Potter leaned forward, his whole weight on Draco's chest. Draco rung for air and-

He jumped up, pale, sweaty, gasping for air. His eyes frantically darting through the room. It was just a dream, he told himself, over and over again, but it did not work. The fear, the panic, the guilt - those were all real.

He hadn't had such a dream in a while. He sank down on his bed again, hugging his knees. He tried to Occlude as best as he could, but he could not fall asleep again.

Things stayed like that for the next two days as well, he stayed in bed all day, hardly speaking or eating, and at night violent nightmares would keep him awake. Nothing changed until Snape decided that this behavior wasn't exactly what one would call "healthy". Since Draco hadn't brought any clothes but the ones he had been wearing when he had arrived, Snape took him shopping.

„I can't let you pay for all of that, sir," Draco complained in one of the shops, a stack of new clothes in front of him. He'd never thought about it much before, but Snape couldn't have that much money if he lived in a town like that.

„Call me Severus, Draco. We are not in school. And don't worry about money. I earn enough as a Hogwarts teacher and since I live and eat at Hogwarts, I have enough for the both of us."

Draco didn't argue any further - mainly because he didn't have the money or energy to not accept his offer.

He briefly wondered whether Snape was telling the truth or whether he did not want to appear poor in front of Draco, not that he would have cared. He could not imagine Snape willingly living in such a place, but perhaps he was there so rarely that he did not care to move.

Going out and occupying his mind with something else improved Draco's mood immensely and once they were done with the shopping, Severus showed Draco around the neighborhood. There wasn't much to see, besides a small park, but Draco enjoyed the walk anyways.

"I came here quite often, as a child," Snape explained.

"It's pretty," Draco said. Definitely a lot prettier than anything else around town. "Did you play on the swings?"

Snape looked in the direction of the swings. "Sometimes," he answered and a small smile graced his lips, but Draco thought it looked rather sad.

Back at Spinner's End, Draco wrote a letter to let Sirius know what had happened and that he was fine. Severus had advised Draco against telling anyone who he was staying with and Draco had to agree that it was probably for the best. But he felt the need to contact Sirius. He had been abandoned by his family as well, so perhaps he could share some advice.

After that Draco spent a lot of time helping Snape brew potions, exploring the house and browsing through the books Snape owned.

"What's that?" Draco asked, while exploring the house. It was a question he had asked rather often, considering Snape owned quite a few muggle items. The things were all rather old and Draco assumed that they had belonged to his parents and he had just never gotten around to or cared enough to get rid off them.

"It's called television," Snape said, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"And what's it do?" Draco had never been a fan of muggles and he would probably never be, but he had decided to be more open-minded, considering where he was staying, and tried to show interest. He wasn't sure whether Severus liked to talk about these things - he did become a Death Eater after all - but Draco didn't want him to think that he thought any less of him for being a halfblood.

Snape lowered the book and looked at Draco. "A television is a technological device used to receive and observe images and sound sent from far away. Muggles use them for entertainment and information acquiring purposes." He observed Draco for a while. He must have looked quite blank. "It is like a book but in moving pictures."

Draco could not for the life of him comprehend this. Like a book but in moving pictures? "Can I try it?"

"Try I- _You_ want to watch a muggle movie?" he raised his eyebrows. "What has happened to you?"

Draco blushed and shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't even explain it himself. Somewhere between the beginning of the second war, staying in a holding cell awaiting trial, being depended on Potter's kindness and being shunned by society for being a former Death Eater, he had lost his attitude.

"Alright," Snape stood up and walked towards the television. He went on one knee in front of it and opened a small cupboard under the device.

"Pick one," he said, motioning at a couple of small boxes.

Draco knelt down next to him and started to examine the boxes. Like books they had a name and a picture on the front and a summary of the plot on the back. He browsed through them.

"Let's uhm- watch? - this one," he gave one of the boxes to Severus.

Snape looked at the title and smirked. "The Godfather?"

Draco smiled. "Well," he shrugged. He was staying with his godfather, so wasn't it fitting?

"Fine," Snape said and opened the box, revealing another box, which he put into an even bigger box. The whole thing made Draco's head spin.

Snape sat down on the sofa and Draco followed him, staring at the television.

Suddenly, the thing became alive and there was music and Draco could see people moving and talking. He was mesmerized. Never in his whole life had he seen anything like it.

Snape smirked, watching Draco in amusement. During the movie he had to explain a lot so Draco could follow the plot. What the Mafia was, what guns were, and so on.

"That was amazing," Draco said at the end, surprised that he actually meant it. "Why don't we have anything like that in the wizarding world?"

"Magic is known to interfere with muggle technologies," Snape answered matter-of-factly.

"But it works here?" Draco asked.

"Well, I am hardly ever here, usually only during the summer, and even then only for a few days at a time. And we hardly used any magic during the last days." That was true. They had both mostly been reading, talking and brewing.

* * *

While browsing through Snape's books one early morning, Draco found an old, leather-bound photo album. He opened it somewhere in the middle and a picture of a younger Snape greeted him. A younger Snape with his arm around the shoulders of a young red-head. Draco knew immediately who this was. Lily Potter. The eyes were a dead giveaway. He hadn't found this when he had gone through Snape's things after his death. Maybe he had moved it by then or maybe Potter had found it before him and had decided to keep it.

He looked through it, finding it quite fascinating.

"What are you doing there?" Snape barked and Draco flinched. That was the harshest he had ever talked to Draco.

He closed the album immediately and hurriedly put it back where he had found it. "Nothing. Just looking at your books. You said I could read them if I wanted to."

"I believe there is a difference between reading a book and snooping through old photo albums," but his gaze had softened again.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Draco. "You were friends with Potter's mum? Before school?"

Snape frowned. "For some time during our youth. We had a falling out. Look, Draco-"

"Don't tell Potter. I get it, don't worry. I shouldn't have been so nosy."

Snape smiled.

Suddenly, the fire in the fire place flared and Draco hastily hid behind the sofa.

"Severus, my dear friend, are you there? Mind if I step through?"

Draco gasped. It was his father.

TBC

Did you like this chapter? Can you guess what Lucius wants? What do you think might happen next? I wrote chapters 67-69 ages ago and absolutely love the drama and the Snape-Draco bonding moments.


	70. Chapter 70

Read, enjoy and review :)

oooOOOooo

 _Suddenly, the fire in the fire place flared and Draco hastily hid behind the sofa._

 _"Severus, my dear friend, are you there? Mind if I step through?"_

 _Draco gasped. It was his father._

Snape motioned Draco to leave the room. Draco hurried out of the living room, but stayed within earshot.

"Ah Lucius. How good to hear from you. Be my guest," Snape's smooth voice said.

He could hear his father step through the fire place and Draco's emotions went on a roller coaster. He was delighted to have his father close, but the betrayal and sadness he also felt wrenched his gut.

"My, my, Severus. You look... awfully gaunt. Are you eating enough?" Lucius' voice drawled, but it did not sound cruel, rather friendly, teasing.

Draco had noticed the loss of weight during the year as well. Severus must have had a few rather stressful months, but he didn't seem unhappy, Draco thought. Not exactly happy, either - he wouldn't even know how to recognize a happy Snape if he saw one - but he was teaching DADA, which had long been his dream, the students were infinitely better at this subject than at potions, they seemed to enjoy it more as well, and the healing of the Longbottoms had been a total success. Generally speaking, Snape was in a far better mood than Draco had ever seen him in.

"Ah, I fear working for two masters, tutoring the less... _gifted_ , brewing potions for the Infirmary, managing the Triwizard Tournament, teaching dunderheads and supervising countless detentions leave little time for eating," Snape answered Lucius.

Lucius chuckled. "I am afraid you have no one to blame for the last one but yourself."

"Fair enough," agreed Snape.

"You've always eaten little, even at school. You should visit Narcissa and I for dinner-"

"Lucius, surely you haven't visited me today to talk about my health or my eating habits," Snape interrupted. "Why are you bothering me during the holidays?"

"Would you prefer I bother you during classes?" he could hear his father tease. Draco felt jealous. Why did Snape get to have a good relationship with his father when he didn't?

"Lucius," Snape's tone was even.

A pause.

"No, indeed not," Lucius admitted.

Another pause. The temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees. The playful banter was gone and made room for a serious conversation.

"I believe you have heard about my... falling out with Draco," Lucius started.

Pause. Draco held his breath. This was about him.

"So the rumors are true?" asked Snape carefully.

Another, longer pause. It seemed like both men were measuring each and every word they exchanged. Draco knew this from the first time he had been a part of this war. You never knew how much you could tell your supposed friends, especially when the subject was one that could potentially lead to trouble if one of the two parties passed the information on to the Dark Lord.

"Yes," Lucius finally sighed and Draco could hear him sit down on the sofa. "We had to disown him."

Draco exhaled slowly, suppressing the impulse to do something he would most definitely regret.

" _Had to_? Surely this wasn't necessary." Snape walked to the liquor cabinet and Draco could hear him serve two glasses of what he presumed was most likely Firewhiskey.

"Severus... How frank can I be with you? I am sure you have noticed that Draco has... changed his tune."

"I have noticed he has made some new friends this year," Snape agreed.

"This is not the only thing he has done this year. His recent actions have led me to believe that he will not be on our side, should the Dark Lord return," Lucius sighed again, "Indeed, I believe Draco has chosen to become a blood traitor."

A longer pause. Draco had to fight the urge to peer around the corner to see their facial expressions.

"Don't you think your actions were rash?" Snape carefully said, "With time, I am sure, we could have set him back on the right path."

"Maybe," Lucius agreed. "But time is a luxury which I do not have. The Dark Lord will return soon. You know it and I know it."

"You do not sound happy about that," ventured Snape.

Draco was surprised his father was ready to divulge so much. He seemed to trust Severus quite a bit. It made Draco wonder how his godfather really felt about his family. Did he really consider them friends or were they just a source of information for the spy? Why had he taken Draco in? Because Dumbledore told him to or because he actually wanted to?

"Oh- don't get me wrong, his return is something I have longed for these many years. But..." Lucius trailed off. "It has come to my attention that he is interested in my son."

"Indeed?" Snape sounded surprised. Draco was as well. He edged closer to the door and held his breath so he wouldn't miss anything they said.

"It would have been marvelous news, had Draco not strayed from the rightful path," sighed Lucius.

"You fear for the boy's safety?" Snape asked.

"I-He-" Lucius seemed to struggle to find the right words. "He is my only son. You know just as well as I do how the Dark Lord takes to traitors."

Draco gasped. He was leaning against the wall separating him from Severus and Lucius, but now sank down, hugging his knees.

Another pause. "How does Narcissa take to all of this?"

Draco could hear his father gulp. "She... She is a mess. If she doesn't control herself in time, I fear that I must worry about her as well," Lucius voice wavered.

"Severus... I know you would never betray our master. Neither would I. There is nothing more important to me than our cause... but... could you keep an eye on Draco? While you're at Hogwarts? And make sure he is alright?"

Snape stayed quiet for an awfully long time. "I will do everything I can as long as it won't defy our master."

"Thank you, Severus. I knew I could count on you."

Soon after that, Lucius left. Draco could not keep still much longer as a sob escaped him.

A few seconds after his father's departure, Snape sank down next to him. Uncharacteristically for his godfather, he put an arm around Draco and let him cry on his shoulder.

TBC

Surprise ;) Did you expect this? What do you think of Lucius' way of protecting his son? What do you think does Voldemort want from Draco?

Most of your reviews and pm were about how much you hate Lucius... but some also commented that kicking out Draco seemed out of character for him... I think Lucius is an evil bastard, but I think he truly loves his son...

This was the last pre-written chapter, so updates might take a bit longer again from now on.


	71. Chapter 71

Read, enjoy and review :)

* * *

"Do you want to take the Hogwarts Express or Floo back to school?" Severus asked on the last day of the break. They were standing in the potions lab, brewing supplies for the infirmary. Or rather, Severus was brewing and Draco assisted.

The days had flown by. Draco had mostly been reading and brewing potions, but they had also watched a few more movies. Severus seemed more relaxed than at school, but if Draco had thought he would see his godfather running around in more casual clothes, or even his PJs in the morning, or sleep in, he was disappointed. Severus got up early every morning, already dressed in dark robes, living by a strict routine of running errands and brewing potions.

"Uhm-" Draco had not really considered the possibility of not taking the train back before. But now that he did, the thought of being stuck on a train for several hours with hoards of children who by now undoubtedly knew about his unfortunate family situation seemed unbearable. "Floo, please?"

Severus nodded, adding four measures of powdered bezoar to his cauldron. "You do not seem to be too eager to return," he stated more than asked.

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to deal with all the questions that people will have," he admitted, cutting up some mint sprigs. And their judging eyes, he added mentally. He had told himself over and over again that he was a grown up and thus should not care about the opinions of children, but he did.

"You have friends," Severus said, "I am certain you will be fine." He added two measures of a herbal mix to the cauldron.

Draco smiled. That, at least, was true. He had lost his family, but he still had Neville, although he would probably not return to school right away. He also doubted that Theo would have any problems with his situation, as it so closely resembled his own. Daphne and Astoria, he was certain, would be on his side as well.

"The headmaster wants to speak with you," Severus continued, heating the cauldron with his wand while simultaneously the time on a pocket watch.

"Does he, now?" Draco replied. He knew it was unlikely, but he could not help but feel nervous that he might throw him out of school because he hadn't the money to pay for his school robes and books anymore. Or perhaps he wanted to continue their Occlumency practice - which was somewhat better than the alternative, but Draco was pretty sure the little bit of composure he had reacquired would fall apart like a clumsily built house of cards if anyone were to break through his shields right now.

"He worries about you," Snape said.

"He doesn't have to," Draco replied, feeling warmth at the thought of the old man caring about him, "I'm fine."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe fine is a bit exaggerated," Draco admitted, putting the mint sprigs and the knife aside. "Are you looking forward to going back to school?" Draco finally asked, because he didn't feel like talking about himself anymore. And he had wanted to get to know his godfather better. When Severus had died, Draco had felt as if he had not known the man at all, even though he had spent a lot of time with him and had saved his life, more or less. This was the perfect moment to change that and to learn more about him.

Snape waved his wand. Now they had to wait for 40 minutes before continuing with their potion. "It is not nearly as dreadful a notion as it usually is," Snape replied. "Tea?"

Draco nodded his head, grinning. "You like DADA much more than potions, don't you?"

"I immensely enjoy potions - but not as a subject, to be taught to unwilling, incompetent students," Snape said, walking towards the kitchen.

Draco followed him, thinking this over. Snape did seem to enjoy brewing and he did not seem to mind Draco's presence. Brewing the potion for the Longbottoms, Draco had had the impression, had sometimes even been fun for his godfather. An intellectual challenge, perhaps. "What about Defense?"

"Ah, I-" Snape said, getting out a kettle for the tea, "I find students to be rather less unwilling and more apt in Defense against the Dark Arts."

"Do you like teaching?" Draco asked. He doubted it, but then again, Snape never seemed to enjoy himself much, so perhaps it was not the teaching per se that he didn't like.

"Sometimes I do," Snape answered after a short pause. "I have to admit, this year that has been the case more often than usual."

Draco smiled, feeling at least partially responsible for that.

"I do enjoy all aspects of magic," Snape continued, "and I do enjoy sharing my knowledge with others, provided they show the proper appreciation."

Draco could see that. Sometimes his godfather had talked passionately about a topic and it was clear that his knowledge was vast and that he rather enjoyed practicing it and talking about it.

He wanted to ask why he had become a teacher in the first place, but suspected it had something to do with Dumbledore, and if it did indeed, then he surely would not get a straight answer. But he could try. If he did not get a straight answer, it would at least still be interesting to see how willing to talk Severus was about this subject. "Do you think you would be happier in another line of work?"

Severus studied Draco for a while and took a sip of his tea before he answered. "I might be, but I never would."

"A sense of obligation?" Draco ventured.

Severus tilted his head. "It was hard to find a job at that time. I owe the headmaster a lot." That seemed to be about as far as Severus was willing to go. "Have you thought about what you want to do after Hogwarts?" he asked, in a not-so-subtle attempt at changing the subject.

"Uhm-" Draco began. No, of course he had not. His first ambition was to save his wife. If he could not find a solution for Astoria's illness, then his plan was to become a healer. But if he did manage to find something before, and the success with the Longbottoms had left him hopeful, then his second and only other ambition was to get rid of Voldemort. Other than that, he had nothing planned. Rich heir was not an option anymore, he supposed. "Not really."

Snape nodded. "You still have time."

Draco very nearly laughed.

* * *

The trip back to Hogwarts was a short one. They threw the powder, said the name and stepped into the green flames. One second they were standing in Snape's living room, the next they weren't.

"What the-?" Draco gasped.

"Good evening, Severus," a friendly voice greeted them, "Mr. Malfoy."

They had flooed right into Snape's office. But behind Snape's desk was sitting one eye-twinkling Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

"Sir," Draco finally managed to get out, the initial shock of finding the room less empty than expected wearing off.

"Headmaster," Severus indicated his head, but he did not sound pleased at all to find an unannounced presence in his quarters. "Is there anything I might help you with?" Severus asked.

"Oh no," Dumbledore stood up. His bright magenta robes looked rather ridiculous in the gloomy and dimly-lit room. As he made his way around the table, he stopped for a second to examine one of Snape's many glass jars, this one filled with eyeballs. Then Dumbledore's eyes flicked towards Draco. "I just stopped by to have a word with our young Mr. Malfoy. Shall I accompany you to your common room?" Dumbledore asked.

"Ehm- sure," Draco said, glancing at Severus.

"I will see you in class tomorrow, Mr. Malfoy," said Snape with a curt nod of his head, his face expressionless.

"Alright," Draco said, following Dumbledore out of the room, "see you tomorrow..."

As soon as the door behind them was closed, Draco could feel a privacy charm encircling them.

"Sir?" Draco asked.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts, Mr. Malfoy. It saddens me to hear that your break was not quite what you had expected it to be," Dumbledore said somberly, starting towards the dungeons.

"Well..." Draco sighed, following the old wizard. "Things could have been better, but the Longbottoms are reunited and isn't that far more important?"

Dumbledore nodded, "truly a remarkable feat."

Draco shrugged his shoulders, feeling uncomfortable at this clear attempt at a compliment. "Neville and Severus did most of the work, sir."

Dumbledore turned his head to study Draco, his eyes twinkling madly. "You helped them work together. Something I would have believed to be next to impossible."

Draco grinned. Apparently even Dumbledore could not predict everything. "Anything you'd like to know more about? Or has Severus told you everything already?"

"I do hope so," Dumbledore chuckled. Of course, Severus would be a rather useless spy if he did not inform the headmaster of such things.

"Did you know this would happen?" Draco asked. "Is that why you told him to not stay at Hogwarts? I know he usually stays here over the break."

"This," Dumbledore replied, "was something your godfather requested when he realized you might have been recognized at St. Mungo's."

"So, he wanted me to stay with him?" Draco asked perplexed. "And he knew I would go look for him?" That seemed rather unlikely.

"He knew your revealed identity could lead to problems and he wanted to be near in case it really did. I doubt he expected you to apparate onto his doorstep. That is how you got there, isn't it? You apparated?"

Draco nodded. Apparently Dumbledore did not know everything and needed Draco to fill the gaps. He had nearly forgotten about how he got to Spinner's End, and Severus had not pushed after Draco had refused to answer twice. But he surely must have wondered. If not how Draco got there, than at least about how he knew where to go. "What does he know?"

"No more than what you have told him. What he suspects, however, I cannot tell. He is a smart man."

Draco sighed. He had never talked to his godfather about why he had suddenly changed sides, or why he still trusted Severus even though he knew that he was a Death Eater. Once it was clear Draco wasn't up to anything malicious, Severus' questions had mostly ceased. Severus probably still had questions, but for some reason wasn't trying to get answers out of him. So he must have either thought of a satisfying answer himself or he came to the conclusion that the less he knew the less he had to keep from the Dark Lord if he indeed returned.

"What should I do now?" Draco finally asked, changing the topic. "About my parents? Can I still attend Hogwarts? Where will I stay during the summer?"

"Help is always given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it," Dumbledore said cryptically, "and to those who deserve it. If you wish to continue your education, there will always be a home here waiting for you."

Not quite an answer to Draco's question, but it made him smile nonetheless.

"Where you will stay in the future I cannot say. The matter will be handled by the ministry. They have already been informed, but such things often take time. Should the... political circumstances change, however, we might have to consider taking matters into our own hands."

Draco nodded. That sounded reasonable.

They had arrived in front of the Slytherin common room, but Draco hesitated. Snape's home had be rather isolated and protected, but once he entered the Slytherin common room he would be back in the real world, having to confront issues he would rather not confront at all.

"If you need anything," Dumbledore began, "anything at all, don't hesitate to ask for help."

"Thank you, sir," Draco replied.

Soon after that, Draco was standing in front of the common room on his own. It took him several minutes before he had composed himself enough to actually enter it.

Luckily, there were hardly any people there. Still, those who were present all stared at him. Some in anger, some with disgust, some with simple curiosity.

Draco did not even glance at them, but walked towards his dorm room, avoiding all eye contact. He had almost reached the door to his more or less safe haven, when someone grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to spin around.

"Draco!" an angry voice growled.

Draco gulped.

TBC

It is **NaNoWriMo** everyone! I will try to set myself a word count (500, gotta be realistic, I don't have as much time as I had last year) that I have to reach every day of November. I'll also do some additional creative writing with my sister (a short story or paragraph every day to a set writing prompt). If you also want to get some writing done but are lacking the ideas, you can join us. I posted our prompts on my new (teaching) website:

addiscipulum - wordpress - com (the - should be dots) - first entry in English - Writing

If you do write some of them, let me know with a pm here or a comment on the wordpress website. I'd also be interested in hearing about any other writing projects you guys are doing because it's November.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, let me know in a review. If not, also leave a review to let me know why.

Draco is dealing with a lot and things are not going to be any easier for him in the foreseeable future. Snape, however, is in a better place right now. He's opening up to Draco and seems to be in a better mood overall.


	72. Chapter 72

Read, enjoy and review.

* * *

Draco marched towards his dorm room, ignoring everyone else in the common room. And he almost reached his safe haven, but something stopped him right before he actually did. A hand grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to spin around.

"Draco!" the angry voice belonging to the arm growled.

Draco gulped. "D-Daphne... H-Hey."

Her eyes were livid. "You prick!"

Draco took a step back, breath caught in his throat, but Daphne grabbed him by the hem of his robes, pulling him closer to her face. "Why didn't you tell me?" she hissed. "Why didn't anyone freakin' tell me?"

Draco's eyes darted away from her, searching the room for help. Naturally, all eyes were on them, but most eyes did not belong to people who were willing to help him. Then he spotted Theodore Nott behind Daphne. When Draco sent a desperate glance in his direction, he only shrugged his shoulders.

Draco's eyes wandered back to Daphne, whose lower lip was trembling. But before Draco could get out a word in his defense, she had pulled him even closer and slung her arms around him. "You are such an idiot! But I'm glad you are back and in one piece and we worried about you so much."

Now more confused than ever, Draco looked back at Theo. "How much do you two know?"

"I don't know how much of it is actually true but... a lot," Theo admitted. "But... It would have been nice, you know, if we had heard it from you or Neville first."

"I am his girlfriend," Daphne said indignantly, releasing Draco, "I should have been the first to know. Not the last. Most certainly not through the Daily Prophet and a freakin' _letter_!"

"Ehm- maybe we should discuss this somewhere... more private?" Draco asked, nervously glancing around.

Daphne's gaze followed Draco's, scanning their surroundings, glowering at everyone who could not avert their gazes quickly enough. "Fine," she huffed, turning her eyes back on Draco. "Ten minutes. The Room of Requirement." With that she turned around on her heels, storming out of the common room.

Draco and Theo looked at each other for a few seconds. "Let's go," Theo finally said, sounding rather detached, following Daphne's example and leaving the common room behind.

Draco had thought that Daphne and Theo would be on his side - had he miscalculated? Confused and anxious, he followed Theo to the Room of Requirement. On their way there, neither of them said anything. Not a word. It made Draco's gut churn.

Once there, the room offering two big couches standing in front of a fireplace, Draco was surprised that Daphne was nowhere to be seen. She arrived soon after them, however.

She stood by the door, studying Draco, her expression now guarded. At least she had calmed down, Draco thought.

The next moment, Daphne was pushed aside, and Draco was delighted to see Astoria appear. She took one look at him, before her face lit up and she sprinted towards him, throwing her arms around him.

Draco slung his own arms around her, burying his face in her soft hair. All the tension left him. She was there. Had they been alone, Draco would have fallen apart in her arms.

"I missed you so much," Astoria whispered.

"Missed you, too," he mumbled back, his voice muffled through her hair.

After a rather long time, which didn't feel long at all for Draco, Daphne cleared her throat, and Astoria took a step back.

"How are you?" she asked, her hazel eyes full of worry.

"I-" Draco began, but he really didn't know what to say. He sank down on one of the couches, Astoria sitting down right next to him and the other two opposite of him. "I'll survive," he finally said, because it was the only thing he could think of that was somewhat close to the truth.

The others looked worried, which was better than angry, he thought.

"How about you start at the beginning?" Daphne said, etching forward on the couch.

Draco looked at them. They were his friends and there really wasn't any reason to lie to them any longer. At least, not about this. "I guess by now you all know about Neville's parents?" he began.

The others nodded their heads.

"They've been very sick, for a very long time. Neville and I found a solution and we worked on it for quite some time-"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Daphne interrupted. "He told me about his parents - why not about your plan to do something about it?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell," Draco said defensively. "And I guess Neville... I guess he was scared it wouldn't work."

"Poor Neville," said Astoria.

Draco sent her a grateful smile. She had always been more worried about other's feelings than her own. And she was right, Neville had been a nervous wreck before the Easter holidays, worrying it would not work, worrying his hopes would be crushed. Draco had not been much better, although for different reasons. He had of course wanted it to work for Neville's sake, but he had also seen it as another test, which results would show him if history could truly be altered.

"But I am his girlfriend. I would have been there for him," Daphne continued on, pulling Draco out of his thoughts and back into the real world.

"You really should talk to Neville about this," Draco replied.

"So, you came up with a solution for something the healers at St. Mungo's couldn't figure out all on your own?" Theo asked skeptically.

"Well, we had some... let's call it help. I knew of a potion the Death Eaters used and was able to get my hands on the recipe. Neville drank some of his Felix, and Dumbledore supported us as well," Draco explained, deciding that it was probably for the best if he kept Severus' involvement to himself for the time being.

"He drank the Felix specifically for this?" Daphne asked.

"Uhm- not really. It is rather hard to use the Felix for a specific purpose," he tried to avoid answering the question.

"Cedric," Astoria suddenly said. "You used it- or wanted to use it- to stop him from entering the tournament. Why would you do that?"

Smart, Draco thought proudly. Too smart, sometimes. "I- I'm sorry, but I can't really tell you. We had our reasons."

Astoria leaned back where she was sitting, crossing her arms. She wasn't happy with his non-answer.

"We had the solution," Draco went on, "we made a potion, came up with a suitable spell. Prof. Spleen, who we met at Slughorn's party, he helped us as well. We flood to St. Mungo's on the first day of Easter break and... it worked." Draco's face almost split in two by the radiant smile he had on his face when recalling that particular memory. "It worked."

The others smiled as well.

"I wish you had told us," Daphne said, "but I am incredibly glad this worked."

"That sounds like a great beginning of the holidays," Theo said carefully, "when and how did everything turn... less fantastic?"

 _Less fantastic_ , Draco mused, _what a euphemism_. "We were still at St. Mungo's when Death Eaters came knocking at our door. There was a fight. We had to flee."

"That's how your parents found out?" Theo asked. "So, it is true what the others are saying? That they..."

"Kicked me out?" Draco asked bluntly. No euphemism this time. "Unfortunately. I guess, by now, it's quite obvious to anyone who cares to look that we don't share certain views and..." his voice wavered.

Astoria reached for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Draco smiled at her. "They disowned me."

"What did you do?" Daphne asked worriedly. "Where did you stay? Why didn't you contact us?"

Draco laughed bitterly. "I would have, if I had known how. No money, no broom, no owls... What was I supposed to do?"

"What _did_ you do?" Theo asked.

"A friend of Dumbledore helped me," Draco said carefully. "I can't tell you the name."

"Draco," Astoria said, pulling her hand back, but Draco caught it and held on to it.

"It's not because I don't trust you," he began to explain and Astoria relaxed somewhat again. "This is information that the Death Eaters would love to have and that they would torture for. I don't want to put you in any kind of danger." It was part of the real reason, at least.

"Oh, Draco," Astoria said, leaning in to him, and Draco slung his arm around her shoulders.

"That's messed up," Theo finally said. "It's really messed up. I'm sorry, mate."

"Things are getting real, huh?" Daphne asked with a frown.

Draco nodded his head.

" _He_ 's coming back and we are going to be right in the middle," she continued.

 _We_? Draco perked up. "No," he forced out, "I am in the middle of this, and I doubt I'll be able to not get involved in any more of this, but I don't want to put you guys in any kind of danger."

"That's sweet," Astoria said, "but you don't have a choice in this, because I, for one, am not going to stand back and watch you risk your life. I'll be standing right beside you."

"A-" Draco began, but got interrupted by Daphne's "me, too."

Theo nodded in agreement. "And don't start thinking you're anything special. The whole defying-your-Death-Eater-parents-thing? I did that first."

Draco actually had to laugh at that. "Alright." He would of course continue to do everything to keep them from coming to harm, but damn was it nice to know someone was on his side.

Theo studied Draco for a moment. "I hope, for the future, you know that you can tell us such things. Maybe not the names of certain people, but you know... the rest. That's what friends are there for."

Daphne nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll try to keep the secrets to the necessary minimum," Draco said, grinning. Then, more somberly, "so, you guys are not mad?"

"Oh," Daphne sat up straight, "I am mad. But I also understand why you guys did what you did. I'll still have a word with Neville. Telling your girlfriend about all of this in a letter? Completely unacceptable." She shook her head.

"How is Neville?" Astoria asked.

"I think you know more about that than I do. I haven't seen him since that day at St. Mungo's," he replied, then turned to Daphne. "He sent you a letter?"

"Yeah," Daphne nodded and looked somewhere in between happy and annoyed. "He sounded really happy."

Draco smiled. "Do you know when he'll return?"

Daphne shrugged. "Not really. He said he would like to spend a few more days with them. Honestly, he'd probably not go back to school at all, right now, if he had the choice." She sounded rather bitter.

"Understandable," Theo said. "But he will be back, right?"

Daphne shrugged her shoulders again.

"I'm sure he will," Draco said reassuringly. But he wasn't all that sure, either. He had said he would return, but that was before. Now he had his parents back and knew a war was on the horizon.

* * *

After being accepted by his friends, stepping back into the common room was almost harder than the first time. The hostility was palpable and the looks his housemates sent his way burnt. Draco was acutely aware that he had not been doing Slytherin any favors ever since he returned. He might have gained them house points and convinced many others that their house wasn't all that bad, but he had never before seen his house so divided and the rift seemed to be growing steadily.

Once those who had spent the holidays at home had returned, it grew even worse. Pointed looks, accidentally knocking into him or throwing his stuff to the ground, veiled threats - that was his new reality.

He tried to avoid ever being on his own, surrounded himself with others wherever and whenever he could, and tried to stay within the sight of his teachers. But it was unavoidable that he would sooner or later be caught on his own. Even though they were all in Slytherin, Theo and Daphne couldn't be around him nonstop.

It was sooner than he had expected, they cornered him in the common room, saying that they wanted to "talk." Rather bold, Draco thought. The other people in the common room either pretended not to notice or observed in open curiosity, but none of them seemed eager to intervene, either because they were not on Draco's side or because they were scared of a confrontation where the odds were so clearly stacked against Draco.

"No, thanks." Draco tried to flee to his dorm room.

"Hey! Don't you walk away from us!" yelled one of them. They were about 6 or 7, Draco too concentrated on getting out of this unharmed to count, all from years above him.

A large hand grabbed a tuft of his robe, swinging Draco around. Draco's eyes darted between his house mates - he was cornered.

"What do you want?" he hissed, weighing his options. He could, of course, strike them all down - no amount of even older students could be any real threat to a grown up who had thought in a war - but should he? In the long run, it would only lead to problems and unwanted attention and surely no one would like him any better if he did.

The hand that had grabbed his robe wandered to his shoulder. "Just talk," it said sweetly, but his fingers were boring into his flesh painfully.

"I'm not interested," Draco replied, hoping that they would just leave him be.

"You will listen to us," barked another one of them. "You cannot threaten us with your father any longer."

Draco bristled. He had not done that in - well, less time than was normal probably, but, still, not since he had returned. "Is that how you recruit? Not that I'm complaining, but it doesn't strike me as very effective," Draco mocked. He did not see a point in dancing around the topic.

The reaction was instant - the hand holding him pushed him roughly into the wall behind him so hard, Draco's vision swam for a second. Another punched him in the stomach and Draco could feel the bile rising.

"Watch your mouth, Malfoy."

"Your days are numbered. Once the Dark Lord returns-"

"If roughhousing like a muggle," Draco interrupted, ignoring the pain, "is your reaction to not getting your way, you'll be more than just useless to any lord willing to take you." He had a evil smirk on his lips, completely ignoring that he was vastly outnumbered and that his opponents were several feet taller than him.

Draco found himself slammed into the wall behind him so hard, he briefly saw stars as the pain shot through his back and knocked the wind out of him, and he was sure the grip on his shoulder would leave bruises.

"We don't know what's gotten into you lately, but we won't tolerate it," hissed the boy who was holding on to him.

"Watch yourself," spat another, "I suggest you don't tick us off again. Remember your place. Or your little Ravenclaw might have to pay for your mistakes."

Draco felt anger surge through his body. But he had the mind of a grown up and was a Slytherin, so he would not lose control. "I wonder," he said instead, "if your fixation on hierarchy isn't a symptom of your fear that your time at the top is over. The number of people listening to you is dwindling. The Dark Lord might return, but he is weak and his followers are fewer than ever. And you must realize that someone who barely passes his NEWTS is of very little use to him. I also wonder," he pushed the boy holding him away, taking a step towards them, "who of us is the better wizard? I wonder what would happen if I were to... step out of line?"

Five spells were shot at him simultaneously, but he had cast a wordless Protego before any of them hit him. The spells bounced off his shield and into the boy that had been holding him, knocking him out instantly.

"Pathetic," snorted Draco.

Another round of hexes and jinxes came his way, but he again deflected them with ease.

"You could at least try to make this difficult for me," Draco said. "Expelliarmus!"

All wands flew in his direction and his opponents were all knocked off their feet. Draco kneeled down next to the one who had threatened Astoria. "I would advice you to leave my friends out of this," he whispered, holding his wand at the boy's throat, "because no matter what you do, my revenge will be worse than anything your tiny brain could possibly imagine."

Draco threw the wands at them and stalked away, aware that half of Slytherin had been watching their encounter.

He put a few wards on his bed before he went to sleep. Nothing too complicated, but also nothing a student could overcome.

It took him a long time to fall asleep that night, the anger simmering inside of him. To show the older boys up had done nothing to sooth his temper. He hated how they had threatened Astoria, he hated himself for endangering her in the first place. He hated how he had to demonstrate his magical abilities in front of so many witnesses, but perhaps it was for the best. Staying under people's radar had become next to impossible and perhaps this way they would think twice about attacking him or one of his friends again.

 **TBC**

Draco's friends are really getting annoyed by all his secrets, but they are still there for him. Neville is at home with his parents because one week of Easter holidays just isn't enough to make up for all the years they missed. Slytherin is divided and it is kind of Draco's fault. We'll see where this goes.

How did you like this chapter? Let me know with a review :)

Thank you for reading :)


	73. Chapter 73

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thanks for all the lovely reviews :)

As always, read, enjoy and review :)

* * *

Draco found himself in a large hallway, dimly lit, sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor - Malfoy Manor. A place he had once considered home, but by now he had too many negative memories connected to it to feel at peace in it. Instead he felt melancholic, remembering all that he had lost over the years. The melancholy was mixed with anger - directed at himself - and also the feeling of being trapped. The thick stonewalls that once promised protection from the outside, now only kept him from escaping everything rotten that was on the inside.

His mind was unable to conjure up any positive memories, although he knew that there should be at least some. But it was hard to think of how he had excitedly run in circles on this carpet when he had received his first broom, when thoughts of bloody and broken bodies being dragged over that very same carpet were so much more recent. It was hard to think of the happy times he had spent there with his wife, when he also remembered how she died and that particular memory, that pain, was so strong, so overwhelming. And when he tried to picture happy moments with his parents, he could only think of the morning they rejected him.

His head perked up as the front door swung inward at the approach of a person, and Draco felt a heavy weight settle on his chest when he saw who that person was: Scorpius Malfoy. His son.

"I am back," Scorpius announced, but it sounded uncertain. "Albus' dad let me use their Floo..." Scorpius fell quiet, scanning the dark hallway, looking right through Draco. "Dad?" When no reaction came, Scorpius called out for him again, his brows creasing in worry. When he was again met with silence, Scorpius went towards the drawing room, then to the dining room, and then into every other room in the building, calling out for his father.

He looked small and lost. A scared child. Abandoned by both of his parents.

* * *

One couldn't say that Draco's heart ached when he woke up, for he felt like he did not have one anymore, like it had been ripped out of his chest, and now there was a burning hole that threatened to consume him with the longing it felt for its missing part. Breathing was difficult, his eyes were burning, and he pulled his knees close to his chest, wrapping his arms around them to anchor himself. He closed his eyes, trying to control his erratic breathing, clearing his mind as best as he could.

There was no use in dwelling on the guilt, the longing, the sadness. Better to squash them down. There was nothing he could do about it. Occlude, calm down, and carry on.

When he pulled the curtain of his four-poster bed aside, he should have been pleasantly surprised that no one had tried to enter his dorm room during the night. After all, that's what he had expected after the confrontation with his housemates the previous day. But he only felt empty and drained, as if he hadn't slept at all.

He dragged himself to the Great Hall for breakfast. A livid discussion was going on at the Slytherin table, and angry yelling could be heard all through the hall. As soon as the students at the table noticed Draco, however, all fighting ceased. The sound level turned eerily quiet as Draco sat down next to his friends, who for the first time in a long while, were not sitting alone at their end of the table.

Nowhere was the shift in the Slytherin dynamics as obvious as at their table in the Great Hall. They were no united front anymore. Many students were no longer sitting next to their friends as trust and friendship had greatly suffered. Lines were being drawn and sides chosen and the whole of Slytherin had no idea how to deal with a house divided.

The perpetrators from the day before were also among those sitting on their own. Apparently, being beaten with ease by a single opponent, several years younger than them, had cost them much of their reputation.

But Draco could hardly bring himself to notice, let alone care for, what was going on around him. He let Theo and Daphne do the talking. They seemed to enjoy the modicum of popularity they had reacquired after being shunned for so long. Draco, meanwhile just poked his porridge with his fork, hardly eating anything. His friends sent him worried glances but did not ask him about his strange behavior.

His mood went further downhill when the Daily Prophet arrived. The Great Hall had suddenly grown as unusually quiet as the Slytherin table. Draco would have skipped the newspaper altogether that day, but the eerie atmosphere made him curious enough to grab a copy.

 **MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN** read the headline. With an uneasy feeling, he began to read the article.

 _The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban. Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, confirmed that ten high-security prisoners escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening, and that he has already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous nature of these individuals..._

Halfway through the article, Draco pushed the offending paper away from him and buried his head in his hands. Things were speeding along now. Voldemort and his followers were impatient and not sticking to the original timeline. And they were stronger than they were originally. Aunt Bellatrix was probably already back at her master's side, or at least by the side of the shadow that he still was, making everyone's lives more difficult.

Abandoning his half-eaten porridge, Draco decided that he would just go back to bed and skip classes. But as soon as he had left the Great Hall, he was cornered by three all too familiar Gryffindors.

"May I help you?" Draco asked once it became clear there was no easy way to avoid them.

"Where's Neville?" Ron, ever the bold and straight-forward Gryffindor, asked.

"I'm not his babysitter," Draco growled.

Ron glowered at him. Hadn't they already moved past this?

"We worry about him," Hermione said. "He did not return with the others and there... are rumors."

"Just send him a letter. I'm sure he'll tell you everything you want to know." Draco turned to walk away, but they just refused to get out of the way.

"You and he both disappeared over the break, and no one has seen you on the train," Harry said. "And there are rumors about you as well."

"I haven't heard any rumors," Draco replied, "but I assume they are all true."

Hermione opened her mouth, but then closed it again without a sound escaping.

"So, your parents kicked you out?" Weasley finally asked to break the awkward silence. His utterance was followed by an elbow to the side coming from Hermione.

Draco flinched, but then nodded. If they knew, then the whole school knew as well.

The trio seemed a lot less confrontational now.

"I-I'm sorry," Weasley managed to mutter. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Listen," Draco sighed, "I really don't want to talk about it. Neville is fine. Better than fine, even. He's with his parents. I'm sure he'll be back soon. Maybe in a week or two."

Hermione studied Draco, her expression guarded. "Were they - his parents - the patients that have been kidnapped out of St. Mungo's?"

Draco just stared at her, open-mouthed, before he slowly nodded. " _Kidnapped_ is a strong word. Neville and his grandmother decided that they were well enough to leave the hospital. The healers did not agree."

Hermione shook her head.

"We never knew... He never told us," Harry said, "that anything was wrong with his parents."

"But you knew that he lived with his grandmother?" Draco asked. "Did you never wonder why?"

Judging by the way the trio looked at each other guiltily, they probably hadn't.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Hermione finally asked.

Draco looked at them. They were good kids, he reminded himself. Draco was being unnecessarily harsh to them. But he really just wanted to be left alone. "When the time comes," he finally said, "win."

That was the only thing he really wanted from them. For them to beat Voldemort, so Draco and the people he loved could live in peace.

Draco went back to his dormitory and back to bed. There he stayed until Theo joined him a few hours later.

"Hey there. Everything alright?" Theo asked while he pushed the curtains of Draco's bed aside. "I haven't seen you since breakfast."

"Nothing I won't survive," Draco said, sitting up. "Things just don't seem to be going my way lately."

"Really?" asked Theo. "Seems to me like just this Easter you achieved something so fantastic you should be awarded with an Order of Merlin. Second class, at least. Maybe first. And then – and I realize this might only be rumors – I heard that you single-handedly wiped the floor with a bunch of stuck-up upper years."

Draco laughed, feeling better already. "Well, if you put it like that."

Theo sat down on the bed next to Draco, looking more serious. "I know how you feel. How it feels to get rejected by those who are supposed to love you no matter what. You might tell yourself that you knew it was coming and that it was inevitable – that's what I did, at least – and, I guess, it really was, but it doesn't make it hurt any less."

"Does it get better?" Draco asked, fearing the answer. He missed his son so much still, he could not imagine the feeling of rejection would age any better.

"Not really," Theo admitted. "But you learn to live with it. And you learn that just because your family doesn't care, doesn't mean that no one does. I know they always say that family and blood are more important than anything else. But I think that friendship's pretty great as well."

Draco looked at Theo. "Do you sometimes feel guilty? Like you failed your family and should have done things differently?" And oh was this close to the truth.

"Who doesn't? Unfortunately, we can't change the past," laughed Theo and Draco laughed along. "But I'd rather be alone and fighting for what I think is right than be loved for being someone I am not."

That was, Draco knew, not entirely true. Theo had originally chosen to keep his thoughts to himself. Without the new friendships this timeline had forged, he probably would have again. That, of course, did not make what he said any less true. Even knowing that everything would turn out more or less alright, he could have never just repeated what had happened the first time he lived through all of this. Not even to save the relationship with his parents. He was not the same person he was back then. And he was changing things for the better. His son would be born again and one day lead a better life than he had. He would never know what his father had done.

"I know you had a tough week," Theo's voice cut through Draco's musing and pulled him out of his thoughts back into the real world, "but your friends and your girlfriend haven't seen you in forever and would really be delighted if you spent some time with them. Helps with the mood as well, trust me on this one."

Draco smiled and got up. "Alright," he said. He had missed them as well. How did he ever survive without them, he wondered, while they made their way to the Room of Requirement.

 **TBC**

 **A.N.:** I am back and about as motivated as one can be at the beginning of a new year. I will definitely finish this story before 2020. Anyone else have any new year resolutions related to writing? Let me know in a review. Also let me know how you liked this chapter. There'll only be one or two more chapters covering the school year and then we'll tackle the last task of the Triwizard Tournament.


	74. Chapter 74

Hello, followers old and new! I haven't written anything in forever, life's been quite busy.

Here's a short summary of what happened in the last few chapters:

· Draco and Neville went to St. Mungo's with Snape over Easter break to heal Frank and Alice Longbottom

· Draco was seen and subsequently got kicked out by his father

· He then stayed with his dear godfather Severus

· Draco went back to school, Neville is still with his parents

· Things with his fellow Slytherins are tough but after kicking some butt they leave him and his friends alone

Read, enjoy and review :)

* * *

Draco's eyes wandered over the edge of the parchment to the entrance of the library where he could see his girlfriend approaching. _His girlfriend_ , a thought that never failed to lighten up his mood. He held the letter a bit higher, to hide his probably rather goofy grin.

He could feel her standing in front of him, waiting for him to acknowledge her, but his eyes did not leave the parchment. He could hear her foot tapping on the floor, could sense her impatience growing.

"What are you doing?" she finally asked, quiet enough to not bring about the wrath of Madam Pince. She'd never had the patience to endure his teasing for very long.

Draco looked up as if surprised to see her. "Me? Why I am reading a letter."

Astoria exhaled in annoyance, but Draco could see the corner of her mouth twitch. "No, really? I would have never guessed." Her hand burst forward, and she snatched the letter away from him.

"Hey," Draco laughed, sitting up and observing how her eyes flit across the page.

"So, Sirius wants to be your guardian?" she asked without looking up from the letter.

"Mm-hmm," Draco grinned. The edge of the pain had dulled over the last couple of weeks. His friends had helped a lot. And Sirius' letters. "I think, by now, he must be about two charges short of being an officially recognized orphanage."

Astoria rolled her eyes and handed the letter back. "He still sounds rather upset about your _reckless behavior_ over Easter."

"He is by far one of the biggest hypocrites I have ever had to deal with," Draco laughed. "About a year ago he was the reckless one who had to be reminded to take a bath occasionally and to not kill anyone."

"They grow up so fast," sighed Astoria before she began to laugh softly.

Draco laughed as well.

The tranquility of the old Hogwarts library was soon interrupted by two almost identical figures barging in.

"Draco," yelled - who Draco could by now correctly identify 90% of the time - Fred.

Draco saw Madam Pince jumping up at the sudden intrusion. He sank a bit deeper into his chair, hoping he would not get kicked outside along with the two trouble-makers.

"You!" shrieked Madam Pince, her eyes narrowing. "You two, get out of here! The library is no place for your mischief!"

"Oh, but Madam-"

"Out! And take your raucous cronies with you!" she had her finger pointed towards the exit and was now glaring at Astoria and Draco.

"Raucous cronies?" muttered Astoria, while she got up and slouched off towards the exit. "We didn't do anything!"

"Delinquents," huffed Madam Pince, her eyes not leaving them until they were out of her holy sanctuary. "Hooligans."

Draco quickly grabbed his things and followed his _raucous_ friends.

"Whatever was that for?" asked Astoria once they were out of earshot from Madam Pince.

"Guess who we just saw!" George said as if oblivious to having caused any sort of inconvenience to anyone.

"Your third favorite Gryffindor is back!" Fred added before anyone had the chance to even think about who they might have seen.

"The first and second places going to the two of you?" Draco asked while processing the information. There was really only one person they could be talking about, and he hadn't seen him in weeks.

"Naturally," replied George, "equally tied, of course."

"So, Neville is back?" Astoria asked.

"Told us to tell you to meet him in the Room of Requirement," Fred supplied.

"I'll go and get Daphne," Astoria yelled, already halfway down the corridor, "see you there, Draco."

She was out of sight before Draco could utter a reply.

"Yeah, see you there," said the twins in unison, hurrying down the hall.

"Wait," Draco yelled, "where are you two going? Aren't you joining me in the Room of Requirement?"

"Draco, Draco, Draco… the situation being what it is, we have to be the adults here and have to take up the mantle of responsibility," replied George.

"Responsibility for what?"

"Organizational matters," George replied cryptically before he disappeared from his field of vision.

Draco shook his head, before he made his way towards the Room of Requirement.

* * *

When he entered the Room of Requirement he was immediately pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

Apparently, Draco had been the first to arrive.

So much had happened, so many things they should talk about, but it was so hard to put any of it into words. So, at first, they just sat next to each other on a couch the room had provided, neither saying anything for a while.

"How were your extended holidays?" Draco finally asked.

Neville shook his head. "Surreal. But absolutely amazing. I... They..." Neville shook his head again, his whole face beaming with joy. "I still can't believe it."

It was infectious, and Draco smiled with him. He knew that feeling. It's how he felt when he first saw Astoria again in this timeline. He had thought her lost forever and had gotten another chance.

"We had to move, of course. Dumbledore has hidden our new home well. Helbert is living with us now..." Neville trailed off.

Draco nodded. The Aurors and the Death Eaters were searching for them. Staying in hiding wasn't optional, not really. "Aren't you worried that you'll be questioned now that you're back?"

Neville's brows knitted together. "Dumbledore says I'm safe here and I don't think anyone would dare to bother me at Hogwarts… but they had a huge fight over whether I should come back to school at all - my parents, my grandmother, Helbert and Dumbledore. But as much as I love my parents and want to spend time with them, I just had to come back."

Draco's eyes widened at that.

"You didn't think I would leave you alone in this? The end of the year is approaching and we both know what will happen," Neville said solemnly.

Draco stared at Neville, momentarily at a loss for words. "You just got your parents back. You really shouldn't risk that. Not for me. And I'll be fine. It's really Potter and Diggory you should worry about. Maybe Warrington, too. But not me."

Neville raised an eyebrow but did not comment. "What about you?" Neville asked carefully. "How has the rest of your Easter hols been?"

"My hols?" Draco laughed bitterly. "My parents kicked me out."

"What?" Neville jumped up.

"Yeah... they found out about our little trip and... I guess they did it to protect me. I hope that's why they did it. Apparently, the Dark Lord is searching for me, and they would have to hand me over if I still lived with them..."

"What does he want from you?" Neville asked agitatedly.

"Absolutely no idea." Draco shrugged his shoulders.

Neville shook his head. "So... your parents just threw you out on the streets?" He sunk back onto the sofa.

"You make it sound like I slept under a bridge," Draco tried to make light of the situation. The fact that he had, however shortly, thought that a bridge might be the only viable option for a roof over his head, left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. "I stayed with Snape for the holidays. That... was nice, if you ignore the fact that I've been disinherited..." Draco's voice wavered. As much as his more rational side now thought it understood his parents' decision, he still couldn't help feeling absolutely hopeless and abandoned whenever his mind wandered too much.

"Draco," Neville began, "I am so-"

"Stop," Draco interrupted. "Don't apologize for saving your parents. Just don't."

"It's- I'm-" Neville stammered. "I honestly don't know what to say. It's so unfair. The time with my parents - it's been incredible. I can't thank you enough..."

"I didn't do that much," Draco answered.

"Draco... if you want to blame yourself for everything that's worse now than it was originally, which isn't much, by the way, then you should also accept that everything that's better is your doing as well."

Draco laughed. "I've had that argument with Dumbledore, but quite to the opposite effect."

Neville chuckled. "Honestly, I am so glad you decided to befriend me. I know I wouldn't have any friends without you, or a girlfriend, or... my parents. I'd be the awkward weirdo no one wants to talk to… and suck at potions and Snape would still hate me..."

"I didn't befriend you. You are the one who first talked to me, in case you don't remember. And that awesome guy you are now - it's always been inside of you." Draco rubbed his forehead, wondering when he had become so modest.

Neville shook his head. "Still..."

"Let's agree to disagree. Don't worry about me. Of course, it sucks that my parents have kicked me out... but if I could do it again - or a third time, I guess - I would again choose to help your parents..." He took a deep breath. "Healing your parents... it helps with the guilt, you know?"

Neville nodded. "Do you still feel guilty a lot?"

Draco pondered this. "I did when I first came back. Less so now... but it never really leaves you. I sometimes have nightmares about the things I did and saw... but helping others really helps a lot."

Neville contemplated this. "Do you think that's the reason why Snape helped us?"

"Snape?" Draco hadn't thought about it before. He had just thought that his godfather would find the problem interesting and a possible Order of Merlin enticing. And Snape had always helped Draco, whether he had wanted that help or not. "I can't tell."

"He went from biggest supporter of You-Know-Who to Dumbledore's most trusted man... there must have been a reason for that."

Draco told Neville a lot but that Snape had been in love with Harry's mother was definitely not something he would share. But now he started to wonder whether there had been more to his rather drastic shift. And guilt and the things it led one to do were something Draco knew rather well.

"He does seem happier. But it's hard to tell, he's been in a pretty good mood this year, teaching DADA and all." Draco finally replied.

"I never thought I would say this, but... Snape is not the worst teacher we've ever had."

Draco laughed. "I've always known that."

Neville rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but you're a Slytherin. He's not exactly unbiased."

"Biased?" Draco scoffed. "Have you ever thought of the possibility that we might just be the better students?" So much for modesty.

Neville snorted. "Rrrright."

They both laughed.

"So, what else happened while I was gone?" Neville asked.

Draco frowned. "Things in Slytherin are tough. My changed - uhm - living arrangements aren't exactly a secret. No one knows I stayed with Snape, but..." Draco trailed off. "Yeah, it's not easy. Theo and Sirius help, though. They've been through this before-"

Draco did not get any further as the door was suddenly thrown open with a loud bang and two Weasleys were standing in the door frame, holding in their hands what looked like copious amounts of pumpkin juice and candy. Behind them Draco could spot Astoria and Daphne and several of their other friends.

" _Responsibilities_ ," Draco snickered.

"Let's get this party started," yelled the twins in unison.

 **TBC**

A.N.: Neville is back and the end of the year is approaching. Things are about to get exciting.

What did you think of this chapter? The good, the bad, the ugly - let me know with a review.


	75. Chapter 75

I'll skip the apologies, it's not like apologizing for not updating in so long makes me update any faster. If you feel like I haven't updated in too long, just review the story or PM me, sometimes I just need a little reminder :)

Next update will be next week, as the next chapter is already written.

What happened previously:

\- Draco, Neville and Snape healed Neville's parents over the Easter holidays

\- Draco was seen and got kicked out by his father, he then spent the rest of the holidays with Snape

\- Things have been rough for Draco at school, but after threatening Astoria, he showed them their place

\- Neville skipped school for quite some time, but now he's back and we are ready for the last act

As always, read, enjoy and review :)

* * *

The weeks were passing rather quickly after Neville's return to school, and everything was rather uneventful - which was always a good thing in Draco's book. He enjoyed every day his life and his loved ones were not threatened. At times he could even push aside, if not quite forget, that the school year was drawing to an end, and with it the relative calm of war free times.

The lack of excitement, however, did not mean there was nothing to do. After Easter, the workload had grown heavy. One could hardly walk anywhere without hearing someone complaining or looking wistfully outside. Having been through school before barely made it any easier. Potions and spells he had only learned for school and never used again had faded in his mind, and the fact that he knew he would never ever need some of them again did not make it easier to relearn them. _Anteoculatia_ was one such useless incantation. The hex would grow antlers on the head of the target. Who had invented that spell, and more importantly - why? Or _Melofors_ , which encased the victim's head in a pumpkin. Encasing Voldemort's head in a pumpkin might be a great distraction in a fight, but Draco would probably not survive long enough to enjoy the sight or use the resulting pandemonium to his advantage. Not that more useful spells like _Lumos, Nox_ or even _Aqua Eructo_ would be any more useful in a fight against Death Eaters.

"I miss Quidditch," groaned Theo one afternoon in late May, interrupting Draco's thoughts of dark lords and pumpkins.

Harry and Draco nodded in agreement. They were walking back to the castle after Care of Magical Creatures.

"It's just not fair of the school to deny us this integral part of our culture," Theo continued on.

"You aren't even on the team," commented Draco dryly, although he agreed with the sentiment.

Theo glared at him. "I would have been _this year_ , I just know it. But even if not, what about the joy of watching? The marvelous opportunity to forget about real life for a few hours and simply enjoy the moment?"

"Triwizard Tournament not exciting enough for you?" deadpanned Harry.

"It's exciting alright, but only you and Warrington get to participate. With the second task the audience barely even saw anything! And there are only 3 tasks..."

Harry stared incredulously and Draco began to laugh.

"Guys!" they could hear a voice coming from the castle, oddly loud on such a lazy day. "Guys!" It was Daphne running towards them. She stopped right in front of them.

"What's up?" asked Draco.

"Just-" panted Daphne, "give me a second."

Astoria appeared behind her exhausted sister. "We overheard a few-"

"Tory!" Daphne glowered at her younger sister who was trying to steal her spotlight.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. You tell the story." She caught Draco's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Daphne got ready for her favorite pastime: gossiping.

Draco could tell that they were both rather excited but could not fathom why. As far as he remembered, nothing particularly exciting happened before the third task. But his memory was not impeccable, and by now things had changed enough, truly anything could happen.

"I overheard a couple of older Slytherins telling Warrington about the Triwizard Tournament!" Daphne started. "They'll sneak into the Forbidden Forest tonight and meet someone. Someone who knows stuff!"

Apparently, the news was for Potter only, because the inscrutable mystery of what the third task could possibly be held little appeal for Draco. Theo seemed to reach the same conclusion.

"You are such a cheater, Potter," he laughed, while giving Harry a friendly shove.

"Hey, it's not-" Harry started, but cut himself off. "Everyone does it," he then said sheepishly.

Theo nodded in agreement. "I'm not judging. If you can get an advantage, do it. The game is rigged as it is. Playing fair won't get you anywhere."

Harry sighed. "I'll try to follow them tonight. Maybe I'll take Ron with me. Or maybe Hermione."

"What a fine Slytherin you'd make," grinned Daphne, and Harry glowered at her.

"Are Hermione and Ron still not talking to each other?" Astoria asked.

"Oh, they are talking alright. But things are… weird. I can't wait for this year to be over and for things to get back to normal."

Draco found that he could not agree more. He, however, knew that the end of the year would not bring them much normalcy.

The rest of the day wasn't exactly uneventful. Somehow, and Draco suspected they had been in contact with Sirius Black, the Weasley twins had gotten their hands on something called vinyl, which seemed to be something muggles used for music. The dinner had been complete and utter chaos. Several fights had broken out between muggle-borns and purebloods. The former seemed to like the "music" whereas the latter could not find anything musical about it at all and weren't quite as fond of it. Snape was livid, as he usually was, and Dumbledore did not take the whole ordeal quite as serious as a headmaster probably should. Which was also not all that unusual. Draco found the chaos rather amusing, which was met with little understanding at his table.

It was later that evening, when everything had calmed down again, that the twins caught Draco and Astoria leaving the library to brag.

"It was magnificent," Fred started right away once he caught sight of them. "And absolutely brilliant. Good luck topping that."

"Don't challenge him," Astoria laughed, "he can't back down from a challenge. Not one about playing pranks, at least."

"That is so not true," laughed Draco, although he could see why they would think that. He had not been one for pranks for most of his life. He would not count his petty attempts to ruin Potter's life when he first went to Hogwarts. There was a fine line between bullying and pranking, and he could admit, if not back then then at least now, that he had crossed it. And once back in the past, the "pranks" he played had at first had always served a purpose. It had served as a distraction when they had gone after Pettigrew. And it had served as a means to keep Cedric from putting his name in the goblet of fire when Neville was worried about saving Cedric's life. But through being around Sirius and the twins he had come to enjoy the cunning an elaborate prank required. Perhaps it was then not necessarily a new trait, but rather an old one that had been buried under an aloof pureblood exterior and never gotten the chance to be discovered.

"How did you get your contraption to play the music?" Astoria asked curiously.

"It's mechanical," George replied, as if it would answer everything. "So, the magic did not interfere with it. We had to adapt it a bit though. Wouldn't have worked with that new thing they got… Can't remember the name, though."

"Fascinating," replied Astoria, before her attention shifted to something behind the twins. "Oh, hey Neville."

Draco turned his head and indeed found Neville walking towards them. "Hello," was Neville's short reply.

"Have you enjoyed your dinner accompanied by some classical music?" Fred asked.

"I'm not sure if you're using the word _classical_ correctly," replied Neville, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, "but I guess it was okay. Uhm- do you mind if I borrow Draco for a second?"

"No problem, we were on our way to find Lee. See you around."

"What's up?" Draco asked, once the twins were out of earshot. He assumed that whatever it was, Astoria could be here for it. If not, Neville would surely say so. "You seem nervous."

Neville laughed tensely. "It's probably nothing, really. But- uhm, I've just seen Cassius in the castle."

"So?" Draco asked, not quite seeing what was so significant about that.

"Well, Harry and Hermione left the castle to observe this meeting in the forest. You remember? About the third task? But he clearly isn't in the forest, and he doesn't look like he'll be going there anytime soon, and Hermione and Harry have been gone for a really long time now-"

"Nev!" Astoria interrupted him. "You're rambling. Take a deep breath." Only once he had followed her order, did she continue. "So, you are worried about them?"

"Yes. I know there are Death Eaters after me and my family. What if they are trying to get Harry as well?"

"Possible," Draco agreed, after thinking it over for a few seconds. He thought it unlikely, as they had not tried to do anything like it originally. And there was probably still some 3rd task related plan that they were banking on. "But perhaps Warrington just had his meeting earlier and they missed him."

"Do you think we should go after them?" Neville asked.

Draco wasn't sure, but if Neville went, he'd rather not have him out in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night on his own.

"Maybe we should tell a teacher?" Astoria said.

"We could tell Snape," Draco suggested, as he usually did when they had this discussion, "but if everything turns out to be a misunderstanding, we'll all be in detention for the rest of the year."

"We'll go," Astoria decided. "I've got an idea. You two go ahead, I'll catch up with you in a minute," with that, Astoria hurried off into the library.

Neville raised his eyebrows and Draco just shrugged. "No idea. But I guess it's a good thing the year is almost over." That way, detention would at least only be for about a month.

Halfway through the castle, Astoria caught up with them. "Let's hurry," she said, and did not further comment on her disappearance.

The forest seemed awfully dark and dreary. Not a sound to be heard. Just some glowing eyes in the endless blackness of the woods. They all cast _Lumos_ , but they could still see not much further than a few steps ahead of them.

They walked through the forest, all hurled close together. But minutes passed, and there was not a sign of human life.

"Where are they?" whispered Astoria.

Draco wasn't quite sure why she was whispering, but he replied in kind, "maybe they are already back and we missed them?"

"We should have seen them," insisted Neville.

"You have to get out of here!" A voice suddenly hissed next to them. It took Draco a moment to realize it was Harry.

"What?" whispered Neville, looking around and failing to spot the Gryffindor.

"Get out of here! Run!" urged the voice of Hermione.

"What?" replied Neville, this time in a panic.

Draco had his wand ready for attack by the time they heard the first crack. The loud noise boomed and echoed through the otherwise silent forest. It was immediately followed by another deafening bang, and another. It sounded like a firework was going off around them, and Draco did not know in which direction to point his wand.

"Look who we have here," a voice drawled, and a cold shiver ran down Draco's back. Out of the blackness, stepped his infamous aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, her wand alight with _Lumos_ , shining on the Hogwarts students. "Not what we've been looking for. Luckily, I'm not picky."

Not even a second had passed after her declaration, before a red light flew towards them.

" _Protego_!" boomed Harry's voice next to them, and now, out of the corner of his eye, Draco could even see him standing next to him. He had probably been under his invisibility cloak. Had Draco had the time to think about it, he would have cursed Harry for revealing himself and not using the invisibility to his advantage.

"Oh, what a lovely surprise," cooed Bellatrix, ignoring that her spell had bounced off the shield of a mere student. "The Dark Lord's most wanted, all in the same spot."

"You mean the Dark Lord's worst nightmare," yelled Harry Potter. " _Petrificus Totalus_!"

Bellatrix waved off the spell with a lazy flick of her wand and began to laugh. Her example was soon followed by several other Death Eaters, who Draco only now realized had surrounded them. One after the other, they cast _Lumos_ to illuminate the night. Unlike Bellatrix, they were all wearing masks.

" _Flipendo_ ," roared Hermione, and the spell actually managed to knock Bellatrix back a couple of steps.

Bellatrix' laughter came to a sudden halt, and her expression soured.

One of the Death Eaters sent a strong knock-back-jinx after her, which hurled Hermione into a tree.

" _Stupefy_!" growled Draco at the Death Eater, before he could follow the jinx up with something more nasty, and actually managed to catch him off guard and knocking him out.

Soon, spells, hexes, and shield charms were flying left and right and the only reason no one got seriously hurt was perhaps that it was rather difficult to cast _Lumos_ and a shield charm and offensive spells at the same time. The Death Eaters, vastly outnumbering them, had therefore fallen back on half of them keeping the forest alight, while the others were doing the fighting.

Draco could see Neville casting _Vermillious_ into the sky. Hermione had apparently also seen it, as the next thing she did was aim the same spell, which would usually send red sparks into the air, at one of the Death Eaters, which sent him flying backwards.

Before any spell could do any serious harm on either side, Draco could hear Astoria cast " _Nox_ ," extinguishing all the light surrounding them. Draco used the second of chaos to quickly throw a silent knock-back-jinx in the direction of the castle, sending some Death Eaters flying and grabbed Harry and Neville, who were standing closest to him, and shoved them in the direction of the castle. "Run!" he ordered.

The others did not need to be told twice. They knew the forest better than their opponents, and made quick headway. Draco continuously cast _Protego_ around their group, hoping it would be enough to protect everyone.

But then, behind him, Draco could hear Astoria squeal. He spun around. A Death Eater had grabbed her by the arm and held his wand pressed to her left cheek.

"You stop running," panted the Death Eater, "or the little witch dies."

Draco and the others all stopped, staring at the scene. Draco's grip around his wand tightened, but he was too worried he would accidentally hit Astoria to do anything.

"You let her go _right now_ , or I swear-" hissed Draco, but got interrupted.

"Or what?" laughed the Death Eater, whose voice Draco could not identify. "You're going to kill me? Hurt me? That's not the kind of stuff you learn at a school run by an old, ignorant fool. The real spells," he let his wand wander up and down the side of Astoria's face, his eyes mad," _Crucio_ ," he whispered, leaning close to her ear, " _Imperio_ and _Avada Kedavra_... you don't learn that at your school. I, however, could teach you how to cast them." His eyes glistened. "Perhaps, a little demonstration? Of course, you could try to fight me with what that fossil has taught you. _Titillando_ would do wonders, I am sure, or _Aguamenti_ ," he roared with laughter.

"Not a bad idea," hissed Astoria, pushing away from him and yelling, " _Aqua Eructo_!"

The powerful jet of water hit him square in the chest and sent him flying before his laughter had fully died down.

"Let's go," yelled Astoria, running past her friends who were still rooted in place.

They ran through the forest and towards the castle, but they could hear the enemies behind them. The edge of the forest came closer. Once they had reached the point at which Apparition was no longer possible, Draco was sure the Death Eaters would make a strategic retreat. But that point was still some way for them to go, and the Death Eaters were close on their heels.

The end of the forest was close, when Draco tripped over some roots. He just had enough time to cast _Protego_ before a number of spells rained down on him. The others had stopped to help, but Neville was soon hit with a whip-like curse, and Astoria landed on the ground next to Draco after being hit with a _Tarantallegra_. The other Death Eaters were catching up with them, and it did not look good for Draco and his friends.

 **TBC**

Dun-Dun-Dun... it doesn't look good for Draco and his friends. What do you think will happen next? Did you like this chapter? Let me know with a review. Did you hate it? I'd like to hear why. Have you forgotten all about this story and only remembered because you got an e-mail alert? Well, that's on me. Still, let me know. Sometimes a bad conscience does wonders for my writing speed.

Next chapter will be up sometime next week, as it's already 3/4 written.


	76. Chapter 76

Read, enjoy and review :)

* * *

 _The end of the forest was close, when Draco tripped over some roots. He just had enough time to cast Protego before a number of spells rained down on him. The others had stopped to help, but Neville was soon hit with a whip-like curse, and Astoria landed on the ground next to Draco after being hit with a Tarantallegra. The other Death Eaters were catching up with them, and it did not look good for Draco and his friends._

Draco was hit in the face by a blazing heat. It rolled over him like a wave, burning like a blazing sun on a hot summer day. A light spread through the forest, illuminating the night.

Draco turned his head just in time to see a geyser of flames shoot past him and towards the attackers. It landed between them, the force of the impact throwing several Death Eaters of their feet. A wall of fire cut a line through the grass, separating Draco and his friends from their enemies.

A figure appeared beside Draco. It stepped around him and through the receding flames. The figure aimed several spells at the opponents, knocking some of them out within seconds.

"Professor… McGonagall?" gasped Neville from somewhere behind Draco.

Draco took a closer look. Neville was right. He released Astoria from the Dancing Feet spell, and jumped back onto his feet, joining his Transfiguration teacher with his own spells and hexes. The others joined the fight.

Cracking sounds in the distance announced the first Death Eater's departure. The tides were turning. Those who realized it were opting for a strategic retreat from the wrath of one angry head of house.

With few Death Eaters remaining, McGonagall focused on Bellatrix Lestrange.

With _Avis_ , followed by _Oppugno_ , McGonagall sent an enthusiastic flock of ready-to-attack birds after Bellatrix.

Bellatrix dissolved the birds into cinder and ash, before casting _Alarte Ascendare_ with an angry snarl, in an attempt to send the teacher flying. When the spell bounced off McGonagall's shield charm, she sent arrows shooting out of her wand towards the Transfiguration teacher.

With an erratic lash of her arm, McGonagall bent the surrounding trees down. The arrows thudded into the branches. Once every arrow was stopped, she had the branches of the trees flying towards Bellatrix, like giant hands trying to squash a fly.

With a swift downward motion of her wand, Bellatrix hacked off the branches.

"Give up, Bellatrix," said McGonagall, her voice loud and clear. She seemed calm. But her posture was rigid and her breathing rapid. "Your friends are leaving already. You cannot win this!"

Bellatrix' upper lip curled, and she growled, " _Crucio_!"

The curse hit McGonagall square in the chest, sending her down with a pained gasp.

McGonagall's pain could not have lasted long, as three furious Gryffindors sent their most violent hexes Bellatrix' way, stopping her attack and forcing her on the defensive. Spell after spell hailed down on her shield, which remained strong.

"Look around you," McGonagall urged, getting up from the ground. "You are alone. They are all gone."

And it was true. Not a single Death Eater was in sight anymore.

Bellatrix hurled one last _Bombarda Maxima_ at the students before she disapparated.

The students managed to jump away just in time to avoid getting hit directly.

The explosion was loud and violent, bending trees and breaking branches. Draco flew back several feet, a tree bringing his flight to an abrupt stop. When he looked up, his head was spinning, and his side hurt with a piecing intensity. He could see the others sprawled out around the clearing. He did not know how badly injured they were, but at least they all appeared to be alive. McGonagall was the only one still standing, Bellatrix was gone.

"Coward," he could hear his Transfiguration teacher cry over the ringing in his ears. Then she turned towards the students. "What on earth were you thinking?" she said, with cold fury in her voice, her glance jumping from Harry to Draco and back to Harry.

The children all looked at each other.

"You're lucky you weren't killed," she continued. Then, she took a deep, calming breath. Then another. "Is anyone hurt? Does anyone need to see Madam Pomfrey?" She then made her way from student to student, checking their injuries.

Draco had a feeling that he would have to spend the whole evening in the Hospital Wing, whether he needed it or not. It was probably for the best, though.

He crawled to Astoria, who was sitting on the ground, looking rather dazed.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I think my arm is broken," she said, lifting her arm so he could have a look at it.

"Uhm- there is blood dripping out of your ear," Draco said, while eyeing her arm.

He helped her up from the ground and they joined the others. Neville had a bloody wound across his chest from a whipping curse he had been hit with. Potter had a cut on his forehead and blood was dripping down his face. The others had similar injuries. Thus, as had apparently become an annual tradition, begun another silent walk to Madam Pomfrey.

The mood was subdued. Draco knew that their nightly outing would lead to some rather unpleasant consequences. Detention, definitely. But also a stern lecture from both McGonagall and Snape. Perhaps even Flitwick, once he found out one of his ravens had been dragged into this mess. But Draco was worried for entirely different reasons.

"I have to talk to the headmaster," Draco said, once they had set foot into the castle, breaking the silence.

"Mr. Malfoy-" McGonagall began.

"Madam Pomfrey cannot look at all of our injuries at the same time!" Draco interrupted, and he knew the house of Slytherin would awaken to an unprecedented loss of house points. "And my injuries are not as bad as those of the others. I'll talk to him for 10 minutes, and then I'll go straight to the Hospital Wing, promise."

He did not wait for McGonagall to approve – not that he expected her to – but he wanted a chance to talk to the headmaster freely before he was confined to the Hospital Wing for the rest of the night.

He hurried through the castle, as fast as his aching side allowed, and was in Dumbledore's office within two minutes.

The headmaster did not appear at all surprised to see him.

"This was new," Draco began, jumping right into the topic once he had set foot in the office of the headmaster. "They tried to lure out Potter. Grab him in the middle of the night. An ambush. Aunt Bella was there. And plenty of others." His mind was racing and the words just came spilling out. Draco was not even sure they were coherent.

"I think," Dumbledore started calmly, "that we have already established that things are happening differently than you remember. What I would like to know is why you and your friends were outside the castle in the first place during times such as these."

The sudden change of topic, from the most recent events that still had adrenaline pumping through his veins to something so practical, calculating, threw Draco. He took some time to calm down, collect his thoughts and pierce together how the events of the night had come to pass.

"Daphne and Astoria told us this morning that they overheard Warrington and some others discussing the third task. Potter naturally wanted to know more about it. I didn't think much of it at the time. He must have missed Warrington and his friends. Maybe Warrington is a Death Eater and those were the friends he was meeting… I don't know. We have to tell the Ministry about it. They have to send Aurors right away. Maybe they are still in the area..." Draco rambled. "Are you listening to me?"

Dumbledore sat at his table, looking pensive.

"Are you," and here Draco waited until Dumbledore's eyes fell on him, so he knew he had his attention, "going to do anything about it?"

It took a long time before Dumbledore answered. "I think that, considering the circumstances, it would be unwise to let Aurors into the school."

Draco took a deep breath and sat down. It would not do to lose his head. With the current state of things at the Ministry and with Neville's family on the run - perhaps not letting them roam the school was sensible. "But what if they were counting on us to do absolutely nothing?"

"I assume that is the case," replied Dumbledore calmly. It irked Draco that the man never seemed to feel anything. Draco could rage, he could cry, he could rejoice right here in this very office - Dumbledore would stay his stoic, calm self. He wondered if Dumbledore was actually able to fight or if he would say cryptic stuff in a calm manner while the Dark Lord was throwing curses left and right. "They clearly were not afraid of repercussions."

Draco groaned. Perhaps the whole thing had not been a stake-out followed by a spontaneous attack when the opportunity presented itself. Perhaps it had indeed been planned meticulously for weeks. His mind had avoided interpreting what happened in such a manner, mainly because everything else that had strayed too much from the original timeline had been the results of coincidence and not so much real planning. Other than Draco and his surroundings, not much had changed. Things had sped up, yes, but ultimately they stayed more or less the same in matters Draco was not directly involved with. And recent events aside, that remained more or less unchanged. "Okay then. What are you going to do about the Triwizard Tournament? Because the way I see it, nothing much has changed. The Death Eaters are after Potter, and I am sure they will go after him during the third task again."

"I would argue that a great many things have changed. Alastor Moody is investigating at the Ministry. Severus is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. The cup will stay at the Ministry until the very last moment, at which Hagrid himself will put it into the maze. Harry's odds are better than ever, I must say. I am certain this war will claim far fewer lives than it originally did."

"The cup in the maze..." Draco repeated, realization dawning. This was not about keeping Harry away from the Dark Lord. If it were, the third task would be something else and Harry would be ill-equipped to win it. But Dumbledore knew the cup was a trap and that Harry would win in the maze. "Wait a minute - You want the Dark Lord to kidnap Harry!" He jumped out of his seat. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Have you finally come to care for Harry?"

"I- uhm- don't turn this around on me!"

"Your assumption is not entirely incorrect," Dumbledore admitted.

"I repeat: What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you want him to be kidnapped by the Dark Lord?" Draco was seething. All the work he had put into making things better- and Dumbledore did everything for them to stay the same.

"Calm down, Mr. Malfoy," he said calmly.

Draco glared at him but sat back down.

"Voldemort will return," Draco wanted to interrupt, but Dumbledore silenced him with a raised hand. "This is a fact. One we can do little about. To do this, he needs the blood of an enemy. Which is why he kidnapped Harry back then and will try to do so again."

Draco's brows furrowed. "He used Potter's blood?" He really should not be as surprised as he was. The ritual, whatever else it was, was dark.

Dumbledore looked contemplative. "I believe so. He could have used the blood of anyone opposing him, but he chose Harry, believing his blood would make him more powerful than any other blood. However, I also believe that this is the reason Harry was able to survive the killing curse in the end."

"W-what?"

"You are a smart man. You have all the puzzle pieces in front of you. Why do you think Harry survived that faithful night in Godric's Hollow?"

"I- I don't know. I've never thought about it," he admitted. It was rather peculiar, that a one-year-old could do what no one else could. Potter was not particularly powerful – at least not more powerful than the Dark Lord - so his magic alone could not have been the reason why he survived. So, it must have been something else. Maybe it had something to do with the circumstances. The Dark Lord had killed his parents before he killed Harry. They must have tried to stop him, like every parent would. But the Death Eaters had annihilated many a family and nothing like this had ever happened before. Something must have been different. Dumbledore said he had all the puzzle pieces, so what was he missing?

And suddenly, he remembered something.

 _"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," Harry had said to the Dark Lord, right before the end. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people —"_

 _"But you did not!"_

 _"— I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"_

Potter said that his readiness to die had been protecting everyone. That must be it.

Draco gazed into Dumbledore's eyes. They were watching him. He was giving him time to draw the right conclusions on his own.

"Severus asked the Dark Lord to spare Potter's mother. And he actually gave her a chance… I can't believe the Dark Lord actually listened to Severus… But she wouldn't step aside. Of course, she wouldn't," Draco knew what it meant to be a loving parent.

Dumbledore smiled. "Indeed. Ancient, sacrificial magic – no incantation necessary - flowing through Harry Potter's veins."

 _Like a Life Debt_ , Draco thought. "And the Dark Lord's," he finally muttered, understanding dawning on him.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Love – the one thing Voldemort will never understand. He took Harry's blood and rebuilt his living body with it. Harry's blood in his veins. Lily's protection inside both of them. He tethered Harry to life while he lives!"

"So, when he thought using Potter's blood would make him more powerful, it actually made him unable to kill Harry?"

"Precisely," smiled Dumbledore.

"And this is why you want him to get kidnapped? You want him to use Potter's blood? Because it will protect him?"

Dumbledore nodded again. "Although want is not the word I would use. I have tried everything in my might to find out who Barty is impersonating this time. But everything the Moody of your memories has done, has happened again. Every incident happened around different people. According to Severus, Voldemort is in contact with the Death Eaters and he gives them orders. But none of them know how. My best guess is that Barty either impersonates a different person each time or somehow orders different Death Eaters to do Voldemort's bidding."

Draco furrowed his brows. That did not sound good.

"Please don't believe I let all of this happen. I did not choose Moody to teach in the hopes of keeping history from repeating itself. I also kept an eye on Harry, but he seems to have solved the tasks without the help from anyone untrustworthy. I have also made sure that the cup is under constant surveillance at the ministry and will be brought here and put into the maze by Hagrid. If all of this fails, I will put a tracking charm on Harry. Should he disappear, I will send Aurors after him. But Voldemort will return, and if he does during the Triwizard Tournament, we are at an advantage. We know what will happen. If we change things too much, he might use someone else's blood, which would deny Harry an advantage."

Draco nodded his head. It really did not seem like there was any more the headmaster could do. And his side was killing him, making every breath feel like someone was stabbing him in the side. He stood up with a wince. "I believe my friends and some very anxious teachers are awaiting me in the Hospital Wing."

A few parting words later, Draco was on his way to Madam Pomfrey, his mind abuzz with everything he had learned.

 **TBC**

Another chapter done! And one step closer to the end of the school year.

Somehow, Draco's encounters with Dumbledore never go quite the way he expects them to go. What do you think of Dumbledore's decision not to call the Aurors? Is it sensible?

What did you think of the fighting scene? Bellatrix' fight with McGonagall? Or how Astoria beat that Death Eater in the previous chapter? I find fighting scenes difficult to write, but I think it turned out quite well.


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